ARCHIVE – View of the old town of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, from Cathedral Hill. Photo: Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa
Keystone
In Estonia, the pro-Russian politician Aivo Peterson has been found guilty of treason. A court in the capital Tallinn sentenced the head of the pro-Kremlin political group Koos to 14 years in prison.
Two other defendants in the case must each serve eleven years in prison: an Estonian citizen for treason and a Russian citizen for non-violent actions against the Republic of Estonia.
The judges considered it proven that Peterson and his two comrades-in-arms knowingly supported Russia in information activities and influence operations against the Baltic EU and NATO country. The verdict is not yet final and can be appealed. The men arrested in March 2023 deny the allegations.
Court: no arbitrary violations
In Peterson’s case, the court found two cases of treason that were not arbitrary violations. According to the court, by initiating cooperation between his party and Russia, Peterson was attempting to gain a political advantage in the event that Russian aggression were to spread to Estonia.
Peterson had founded Koos before the 2023 parliamentary elections and had traveled to the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine shortly before the vote. There, he produced propaganda videos with Russian narratives, which he published on social media. According to the judges, Peterson wanted to raise his political profile by taking part in the press trip organized by Moscow.
Electoral success with a pro-Kremlin agenda
Koos represents a pro-Kremlin, socially conservative agenda, which includes Estonia’s withdrawal from NATO and a reduction in defense spending. As a candidate in Ida-Viru County in north-eastern Estonia on the border with Russia, Peterson achieved impressive results in the 2023 parliamentary elections and the 2024 European elections. The region is predominantly inhabited by ethnic Russians.