The Belov family is free

A decision has been made to suspend the deportation of the Belov family, for whom we have been advocating over the past four days. They have been released from detention and have now returned to the Finnish city where they previously lived.

Briefly about their story. Olga and Nikita Belov left Russia after Nikita, a design engineer, refused to participate in a military project and received direct threats from his superiors. In Finland, they applied for asylum and waited three years for a decision. During this time, they helped Ukrainians: working with refugees, raising funds for medical kits, equipment, and Starlink. In Uusikaupunki, they established a local branch of the FinEst organization.

What followed was a chain of rejections: Migri, the administrative court, and the Supreme Court. After submitting a request for reconsideration, they were called to the police and suddenly placed in detention with the prospect of deportation.

As lawyers noted, if returned to Russia, they would face criminal prosecution under serious charges, including treason, with potential sentences of up to life imprisonment.

Yesterday’s decision to suspend the deportation only allows for a brief moment of relief. Nothing is over yet.

Work with lawyers continues. Legal options within Finland are being explored. The possibility of relocation to a third country is also being considered if the situation develops unfavorably.

This decision has given us time — and it must be used as effectively as possible to secure the result and prevent a return to the previous scenario.

We express our deep gratitude to Svetlana Utkina for her invaluable help, and to everyone involved in ensuring that the family is now free.

This morning, members of Initiative FoReDi took part in an action organized by Queer Asylum: Finland, aimed at drawing public attention to the decisions of Migri and the courts, as well as to the deportation cases of anti-war activists — Olga and Nikita Belov, Roman Golikov, and many others.