A man has appeared at Helsinki District Court, facing charges of plotting to set off home made bombs during 2018 New Year’s Eve celebrations in the capital.
The suspect, reportedly from Latvia and with no permanent address in Finland, is said to have searched for bomb-making instructions online, and then carried out tests of the explosive devices.
He was arrested in autumn 2018, a few weeks before the prosecution alleges he planned to carry out the bomb attack at New Year’s Eve festivities - where the targets would be “foreigners and Muslims.”
The man denies that he had any plans to commit a terror act, but during the preliminary investigation stage he is said to have told police that Europe should be for European cultures, and that different cultures and religions shouldn’t mix.
He admits making explosives and talking about setting some off while he was drunk.
The suspect used an interpreter at his Thursday court appearance.
