A Latvian man accused of plotting a bomb attack against Muslims and foreigners at Helsinki New Year’s Eve celebrations in 2018 has had the charges against him dismissed.
Helsinki District Court had previously heard allegations that the 22-year old researched bomb making instructions online, and then carried out tests of explosive devices. Prosecutors said the accused man intended to target a crowd of foreigners, in particular Muslims.
During his questioning by police the man said he felt that white people were being discriminated against.
The man - described by Latvian media as a neo-Nazi - admitted making explosives and talking about setting some off while he was drunk, but denied the New Year’s Eve bomb attack plot charges.
On Wednesday the court decided that while the suspect had thought about an attack, he hadn’t made a detailed plan to meet the legal threshold of the charges he faced.
The Latvian was convicted of a lesser charge for possessing a knife in a public place.
