NATO member releases seized Russian property
Russian state property in Helsinki which had been temporarily seized by local authorities has been released, the head of the Finnish Bailiff Department, Aki Virtanen, has told the media. Finnish authorities last week 'impounded' a Russian cultural center and diplomatic apartments, in a move that prompted Moscow to intervene.
Helsinki had found no reasons for the seizure, Virtanen told Finnish YLE TV. Initially, the authorities imposed a three-week restriction on the cultural center building, the surrounding plot of land, and the apartments of diplomats who work there.
According to Virtanen, the time was needed to check if any of the facilities were linked to entities or individuals blacklisted by the EU. The newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reported on Tuesday that the seven apartments in question are owned by Rossotrudnichestvo, a Russian federal agency for foreign cooperation which was sanctioned by the EU last year.
The Russian Foreign Ministry demanded an explanation from Helsinki and insisted that the facilities enjoy diplomatic immunity. The Russian Embassy in Helsinki also said that it was in “contact with the Finnish authorities over the issue.” The Finnish Foreign Ministry confirmed that it had received the note from Russia. Neither Finland nor Russia have officially commented on the release of property so far.
The US and its allies, including the EU, imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia over its military operation in Ukraine. The restrictions include asset seizures and sanctions on numerous Russian officials, as well as governmental and non-governmental entities. Moscow has denounced the seizure of its assets abroad as “theft.”
