"History shows of course that both Finland and Estonia have been parts of the Russian Empire and Soviet Union for a much longer time then they were independent states." Not going to any of the more controversial details, I think this points really illustrates Dr Bäckmans credibility, or rather lack thereof. Finland never was a part of the Soviet Union. Finland was a autonomous country within the Russian empire from 1809 to 1917, i.e. 108 years. Finland has been independent for 92 years. I cannot really tell how the difference of 16 years could do any material difference in any respect, and I am sure Dr Bäckman cannot, either. Given that Finland was a part of Sweden more than 500 years, his reasoning seems even more misguided. I think it would benefit the reader to know that although Dr Bäckman is indeed a professor of University of Helsinki, the university has emphatically distanced itself of his extra-curricular opinions.

Estonia behaves like Neo-Nazis. It is really pity that such discrimination is still existent in modern Europe. :(

The real nugget of gold in this article, is the reference to destruction. There is no future for destructive regimes, who want to create division, who want to create hate, who want to rehabilitate NAZism. Indeed they have no future, but worse they can form the breeding ground for a far worse fire to sweep across Europe again, built on this very hatred and division that they espouse. What we need, is a far more constructive policy from players like Estonia. That can rise to the challege and build bridges rather than walls, that can encourage international good relations and internal tolerance and equality. Then not only can they survive, but they can gain more and more respect from the international community. The choice for them is simple, they can look forward and build,or look backward and destruct. It is all in their own hands, the ordinary people need to excercise their rights against extremist factions within their own state. As we all must do in all our states, if we never again want to face the abyss of NAZism. Forward with respect, cooperation, equality and tolerance should be the mantra, not hate, division and inequality.

Pekka,splittimg hairs on the construction of sentences, hardly proves anything. If he inserted respectively into the sentence all would be well in pedantics. Also 108 is more than 92, regardless how close the numbers are. So I think your main point is that there is controversy all around this issue - point noted!

Dr Backman is right, he expresses opinions, that are not welcome by elite or mainstream media in western countries. And to the previous message: Finland was part of Russia for more than 100 years, not as an "autonomous country", but as an autonomous region, belonging to Russia. Western propaganda tries to erase this fact and to revise history.

It is truly apalling that Estonia is doing nothing to improve the situation of the country's Russian minority. According to Amnesty International, the minority is subject to severe discrimination. But the EU is turning a blind eye on this - it accepted Estonia's membership although such discrimination normally have prohibited the entry of a country to the union. I think the worst thing is - one is not permitted to say this aloud. Bäckman is already being lambasted in Estonian press as being nothing more than an "FSB agent." He has been detained and expelled from the country. Even his blog on the Finnish newspaper Uusi Suomi's website has been censored and completely removed.

Of Course Estonia is an apartheid state, It does not have to take a professor to tell us that. A couple of years back, another finnish writer wrote the same thing and got the same treatment from Estonia. Even the British foreign office says it, but still the EU turns a blind eye.Well it will soon backfire on them.

Pekka, I noticed that as well as I was reading. It is awkward phrasing certainly, but is correct, even if moreso in regards to Estonia. There are cases of repetition and awkward phrasing elsewhere in the article, though none as attention-grabbing. I more get the feeling that the answers were somewhat rushed than that the arguments presented were poorly reasoned. Also, it seems like most of the overstatements were intentional, to grab attention even if at the cost of sounding silly.

There are no Nazis in Estonia and there are only 6 supporters of mister Bäckman in Finland. It is sad that peole in Russia think, that this how all the finns think. Mr Bäckman book was sold only couple of copys, because he is stalinist and his books were full lies against finns, estonians and even russians. It is sad that people like him are getting media attention in Russia. Most wierd thing is, that the man who is translating Bäckman s book into Estonian language is well known finnish neonazi Risto Teinonen. This is fact and it is wierd, because they should be enemys, but they are best friends. No how do you feel russians, when man ,who says that he is defending Russian interests in Finland, is close friend to Finnish nazis

Johan Bäckman is part of the traveling Stalinist apologist circus supported by Russian state-owned media. It is a shame that he was denied entry to Estonia, but then again, he is predicting, and in some cases advocating, the disappearance of the country in the next 10 years. The Soviets created apartheid in Estonia. They fostered a Russian-speaking Communist local elite, settled new workers in closed cities, and created the dual school system, where Estonian kids went to Estonian schools, Russians went to Russian schools, and the two populations did not mix. Now that the Estonians try to dismantle that apartheid, and invite Russian speakers into their universities, and support their acquisition of Estonian citizenship, expand into their info room, and have Russian language debates (like they just did this week on ETV2), and have Russian language versions of official websites and also private newspapers, Estonians are somehow accused of supporting an apartheid regime? That's nuts.

I see a lot of killings of minorities and migrants but this are not happening in Estonia they are happening in Russia. Russia has a long way to go before it can preach to other countries about treating there minorities right ,.....when you see this Giant Country constantly using there media to pick on a nation of under 2 million people it makes Russia look nothing but a bully............

Yes Estonia is an apartheid regime. Yes Estonia fought and collaborated with the Nazis Yes Estonia still clebrates dressing as Nazis Yes Estonia took part in the Holocaust aiding the Nazis And yes of course they don't like the facts, and don't want to accept the guilt, so they go on a diversionary blame game, in total denial. You will never change them, because the facts are too painful for them to take individual responsibiliy for. There is always a wiki page, they have written to support their cause. We simply need remeber the truth and state it, leaving them to their world of delusion and fantasy.

Bäckman has no credibility even in his home country of Finland. However, who he is and what fame attaches to him is not important. What is important is, can his assertions be factually verified? His outrageous assertions regarding Estonia cannot be. Strangely enough, the mere word, "Bäckman" is not a point of historical evidence in its own right. Anyone at all can put his head in public and say strange things, but this does not make it so, RT's enthusiasm for his output notwithstanding.

The problem is not discrimination, but the fact, that some russians living in Estonia just refuse to learn the language, that just disables many job opportunities, because many jobs requre knowing Estonian language as you might espect, but most russian people in Estonia I know, speak both languages, so there is no problem for them.