Jessikka Aro had to move out of Finland because of a massive harassment campaign – “Russia news is an expensive hobby” – 2024-05-08 15:44:01

Nonfiction writer, journalist and communications director of the trade association Tehy Jessica Aro published his new book today Putin’s World War, Russia’s Secret Operations to Destroy the West.

Publishing the book is a personal security risk for Aro.

The book deals especially with the Smolensk plane crash in Poland in 2010, and Russia’s complicity in both the accident itself and its framing in the media.

– It has been gnawing at me since I first heard about it. At that time, I started thinking about when I could – or would dare – write about it. I feel like I still don’t dare, but I did it now anyway, Aro says to Iltalehte.

The story continues after the picture.

Jessikka Aro’s new book deals especially with the Smolensk plane crash. Relatives of those who died in the accident were present at the book launch event. Henri Kärkkäinen

Aro became known in 2014 for his series of stories about Russian trolls, for which he was awarded the Grand Journalist Award. The award is the most significant recognition of the field in Finland.

However, Putin’s trolls series and later a book on the same topic hit a sweet spot for the pro-Russian audience. An unprecedented massive campaign of harassment and crime was launched, targeting Aro.

The harassment and stalking was partly physical, and Aro feared for his safety. Because of the situation, he moved abroad for two years. Today, Aro lives in Finland, but he has not returned to his work as a journalist.

– Working was unbelievably difficult. I had made a criminal report of dozens, if not even a hundred pages, and I was hopeful that the police would investigate the cases effectively and I could start a life in Finland.

The story continues after the picture.

Aro says that, to his disappointment, this was not the case. Aro also says in his newsletter that the police closed the investigation of criminal suspicions against Aro one after the other.

The most central criminal suspicions proceeded to court. Known for his pro-Russia sentiment and repeating the Kremlin’s propaganda Johan Backman was convicted in 2022 in the Supreme Court for stalking Aro.

Also the founder of MV magazine Ilya Janitsky was convicted, for example, of a set of 16 acts defamatory in 2018. Janitskin appealed to the Court of Appeal, but he died in 2020, so the district court’s verdict remained in force.

– There was a lot of harassment, and there were so many lawsuits that there was less and less time left for the journalist’s work. When we had a family addition, I came to the conclusion that it was time to move on to other tasks, says Aro.

The story continues after the picture.

Aro also tells Iltalehte that he lost a large part of his property due to lawsuits, and his financial situation has still not returned to the same level as it was 10 years ago.

– Reporting on Russia is a sickly expensive hobby, says Aro.

Aro tells Iltalehte that he is worried about what the publication of the new book will bring. At the press conference, he said that the harassment campaign has already started for the new book. However, this did not make Aro back down.

– I am a journalist at heart, I love when important things are brought to the public. It is important that the stories of suppressed people are brought out and they get to tell what happened to them, says Aro, referring to the relatives of those who died in the Smolensk plane crash.

In Aro’s book, a Polish journalist and the relatives of those who died in the Smolensk plane crash tell about the investigation and handling of the crash, for which the Russian authorities were largely responsible.

Smolensk plane crash

The then president of Poland was traveling in the destroyed plane Lech Kaczynski with their spouses, the commander of the Polish Armed Forces, the head of the central bank and numerous members of parliament. All 96 people on board died in the accident.

Shortly after the crash, the claim that the crash was caused by bad weather and pilot error spread to the mainstream media. There has also been a theory that the president had pressured the pilots to land in dangerous conditions. According to Aro’s book, the claim originates from the Kremlin’s propaganda machine. The theory has appeared, for example, in the prestigious Guardian magazine.

The story continues after the picture.

The commission of inquiry appointed by the Polish government also stated in its report in 2022 that the crash was caused by two explosives on the plane and blamed Russia directly for organizing the crash.

In Aro’s book and at the book’s launch event, it was emphasized that Russia uses information warfare against the West, and it can be seen, for example, in cases like Smolensk.

According to the book, the Kremlin spread the claim about the causes of the crash in order to hide its own involvement. When the allegations about the weather, the pilots being pressured by them became a generally accepted reality, pointing fingers at Russia seemed like conspiracy theories.

The story continues after the picture.

Information warfare

Aro believes that information warfare should be taken more seriously in Western countries. Also the former head of intelligence, evp. major general and MP Pekka Toveri (kok) said yesterday to Iltalehti that the West should wake up to Russia’s hybrid warfare.

– Putin has always declared that the West is at war against us and is a victim of being attacked. At the same time, Russia is killing innocent civilians in Ukraine, Toveri told Iltalehte.

– The West must wake up. Clearly, we have closed our eyes and are still not fully awake. For example, Spain needs to start thinking about Russia’s actions, even if Russian tanks are not the first to rush there.

Groups inciting violence and hatred

Jessikka Aro says that in Finland, attention should be paid especially to groups that incite hatred and violence and the spread of extremist thinking. American whistleblower featured in Aro’s book Em Seikkanen pointed out Putin’s World War – at the press conference of the book, that Russia’s influence on information has been visible in Finland, for example, in the recent elections.

The story continues after the picture.

Seikkanen previously worked at the video agency Ruptly, which is closely connected to the Kremlin and, according to the European Parliament, is an integral part of the Kremlin’s propaganda machine.

According to Aro, the handprint of the Kremlin can be seen in Finland, especially in the hostility towards Ukraine and Ukrainians.

– [Kremlin kädenjälki näkyy] in the emergence of communities where showing hostility is not only acceptable, but downright appropriate. Kremlin propaganda is spread in Finnish, for example, on Whatsapp and Telegram, as well as elsewhere on social media and fake news sites, says Aro.

– In addition, there is this circle of Finnish Russian propagandists who encourage Finns to go to Russia’s side to fight against the Ukrainians.

The story continues after the picture.

Aro believes that the authorities in Finland and other western countries should step up their efforts to defend against information warfare. Aro finds it regrettable that there are still respected parties in Western countries who believe that Russia’s influence on information is little or ineffective.

At the press conference for his new book, Aro emphasized that destabilizing Western societies with disinformation, the spread of Kremlin propaganda and inciting extremist thinking is an essential part of Russia’s conscious strategy in its war against the West, and makes societies more vulnerable to Russian aggression.

– If Western scientists give their prestige to help the Kremlin whitewash its information war, the victims of the Kremlin’s information war will not recognize Russia as the conqueror, even when the Russian armed forces say they will free them from fascism in their homeland by occupying the state citing a fake election result and annexing it to the Russian FederationAro writes in his book.