Finnish Defence Forces to keep 300 sensitive wartime photographs in military area
20.11.2006 at 16:18
Finland's military said Monday it would keep about 300 sensitive wartime photographs at the Defence Forces photograph centre, part of the Santahamina barracks.
National daily Helsingin Sanomat had reported in its Sunday issue that the material would be moved to the Military Archives, which, while organisationally a unit of the National Defence College and by extension of the Defence Forces, imposes few restrictions on access.
By contrast, civilians need military clearance to enter Santahamina.
The photographs, some of which show women and children killed by Soviet partisans and document cannibalism practised by Red Army soldiers, were declassified on Monday, but it remains difficult for the public to access them.
"We are not going to organise any kind of exhibition. The media bear the responsibility for making the photographs public," Ossi Kervinen, a Defence Forces spokesman, told the Finnish News Agency (STT).
Mr Kervinen said that the final storage place of the photographs had yet to be decided and that they would stay in Santahamina for the time being. He added the Military Archives and the Military Museum were candidates.
http://virtual.finland.fi/stt/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=14354&group=General
