The South Savo District Court has convicted former Member of Parliament Satu Taavitsainen of aggravated defamation and handed her a 60-day suspended prison sentence.
Published: 13/06/25 | 19:08
The court found that Taavitsainen had shared false and harmful claims about Jarno Strengell who was a fellow member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) at the time. The accusations were made over a period of several years from 2020 to 2023 and included posts on Facebook, emails and a published article in the regional newspaper Länsi-Savo which later attracted national attention.
One of the most serious claims came in April 2022 when Taavitsainen accused Strengell of a sexual offense in a Facebook post. However, police reviewed the matter and decided not to launch a preliminary investigation.
As part of the ruling Taavitsainen has been ordered to pay Strengell around €10,000 in compensation for emotional distress and nearly €15,000 to cover his legal costs.
Taavitsainen has denied all wrongdoing and says she is weighing her legal options. “The ruling wasn’t what I had hoped for. I’m considering appealing to the Court of Appeal,” she said after the decision. The court’s verdict is not yet final and can still be appealed.
Despite the conviction Taavitsainen says she intends to remain active in politics. She currently holds positions on both the Mikkeli City Council and the South Savo Regional Council to which she was elected earlier this year.
After serving in Parliament from 2015 to 2019 under the SDP banner Taavitsainen parted ways with the party and joined the Left Alliance in 2023. She remains a notable political figure in the South Savo region.
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