A Finnish Court of Appeal has reduced Simon Ekpa’s prison sentence from six years to four while upholding his convictions on terrorism-related charges, according to Finnish public broadcaster Yle.
The ruling changes the prison term imposed on the pro-Biafran agitator but leaves intact his convictions for participating in a terrorist organisation and publicly inciting crimes for terrorist purposes.
The charges stemmed from activities linked to his campaign for the establishment of an independent Biafran state in southeastern Nigeria.
The court, however, reduced his sentence after considering the circumstances surrounding the offences, including the security situation in the region. It noted that the situation in southeastern Nigeria resembled a civil war but did not meet the legal definition of one.
Ekpa had maintained that his involvement in the region’s political crisis was not motivated by terrorist intent. His position formed part of the legal proceedings surrounding the case.
Meanwhile, the prosecution had appealed the original six-year prison sentence, arguing that the punishment was insufficient given the seriousness of the offences.
Despite the appeal, the court opted to reduce the sentence to four years while leaving the convictions intact.
The ruling represents a modification of Ekpa’s prison term without overturning the terrorism-related convictions against him.
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