At the end of 2024, the Finnish Immigration Service began rejecting asylum applications from those who fled Russia to avoid mobilization. This issue has been widely covered in the media, including by Novaya Gazeta Europe.
People who received rejections are now in a deadlock but are not giving up. They are attempting to appeal the decisions in court, as returning to Russia could lead to dire consequences, including interrogation and searches at the border. On September 21, 2022, Vladimir Putin issued a decree announcing “partial mobilization,” which did not specify the number of people to be conscripted or the mobilization’s duration. This decree forced many people, unwilling to take up arms and kill their brethren, to leave Russia in search of safety, abandoning their careers, stability, and future.
Those fleeing war and violence often find themselves in situations where their beliefs and the right to refuse military service are questioned. This issue is not only relevant today but also resonates deeply in the context of Finnish history.
One of the most tragic stories is that of Arndt Juho Pekurinen, Finland’s most well-known conscientious objector. His pacifist beliefs were not rooted in politics or religion—he simply could not bear to hold a weapon.
Pekurinen was born in 1905 in Juva, and his pacifism was shaped by the teachings of Leo Tolstoy and Arvid Järnefelt. He categorically refused any work connected to military service but was willing to undertake any other form of civilian duty.
As a symbol of the struggle for the right to refuse military service, Pekurinen endured arrests, hunger strikes, and humiliation but never wavered in his convictions. His case attracted the attention of international figures, including Albert Einstein and H.G. Wells, who supported the campaign for his release.
Despite this, during the Winter War in 1941, Pekurinen was forcibly conscripted. Refusing to take up arms, he was executed by order of a Finnish army captain. The words he spoke before his death became a symbol of his unwavering spirit:
"You dragged me all the way to Viena to kill me. You could have killed me in Helsinki instead."
Today, Pekurinen’s memory is honored in Finland. His grave at Malmi Cemetery in Helsinki has become a pilgrimage site for pacifists. The inscription on his tombstone reads:
"You lived for peace, and that is why you were killed. But you continue to live!"
Pekurinen’s story is a poignant reminder that the fight for the right to live in accordance with one’s beliefs often comes at an enormous personal cost.
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