HELSINKI, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture has cancelled this year's public financial aid for the populist Finns Party's youth league, the ministry said on Wednesday.
The ministry told local media the activities of the youth league "are in contravention of the aims of Finnish youth legislation".
In a social media entry before the April parliamentary election, the youth league showed the picture of a dark skinned family of alien background. The text of the entry urged to vote for the Finns Party, "unless you want the future of Finland look like this." The entry was on the official account of the organization.
Chairman of the youth league Asseri Kinnunen said the decision is "unjust" and the organization will demand a correction or go to court.
Henni Axelin, the director for youth affairs at the Ministry of Education and Culture, told newspaper Helsingin Sanomat this is the first time the public allowance is being pulled back in the youth sector on grounds of illegal activities.
The ban concerns this year only. She said the ministry had been in contact with the Finns Party youth league already earlier in the spring for related issues.
The Finnish equality ombudsman Kirsi Pimia has concluded in her statement to the ministry that the activities of the league broke the ban on discrimination based on ethnic origin and hurt the human value of dark skinned people in Finland.
Finland has the system of public aid to national youth organizations. The full sum for the Finns Party would have been 115,000 euros. The portion already paid will be impounded, the ministry said.
