Convicted offender Milan Jaff, 25, has given a lengthy interview in Iraq\u2019s Kurdistan Region following his deportation from Finland.<\/p>\n
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In the video interview with Rudaw Media<\/a>, Jaff rejects claims that he led a criminal gang and accuses Finnish right-wing parties of using his case for political gain.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Finland\u2019s Immigration Service revoked Jaff\u2019s residence permit last summer and ordered his removal to Iraq.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n He was deported in December<\/a>, according to reporting first published by Iltalehti<\/a> on 12 December.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Jaff appealed the deportation decision. The Supreme Administrative Court refused him leave to appeal. The earlier ruling by the Administrative Court therefore remained in force.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Finnish authorities have linked Jaff to the street group known as Kurdish Mafia, also referred to as the 47 gang. He has denied that the group operated as an organised crime network.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n In June 2024, the Helsinki Court of Appeal ruled that the group did not meet the legal definition of an organised criminal organisation. The court stated that the case concerned a youth group whose activities showed \u201ca favourable attitude and readiness for serious violence\u201d in situations where members felt offended.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Jaff arrived in Finland in 2017 at the age of 17. In the years that followed, he received prison sentences for multiple offences.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n He was convicted over a plan to carry out an attack at the Kaivohuone restaurant in Helsinki and for a shooting in Espoo. He has also received a final conviction for rape.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n In October, a court sentenced him for assaulting Mika Moring, known in Finland for a series of sexual offences.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n In the Rudaw interview, Jaff disputes several allegations. He claims that accusations of sexual violence were false and linked to personal disputes. He denies carrying weapons and rejects claims that he attempted to kill anyone.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n \u201cI am not a mafia man. That was just an artist name for my songs,\u201d he told Rudaw.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Jaff says his public image in Finland grew beyond his control. He argues that media coverage portrayed him as a gang leader because of a rap song titled Kurdish Mafia.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n \u201cThey took the name from my song and used it against me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n He describes his online persona as separate from his private life. In the interview, he says he worked in car washes, restaurants and renovation jobs while living in Finland. He also states that he attended school and trained in mixed martial arts.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Court records in Finland show that he served prison sentences in two periods. He says the first term lasted two months in 2020, followed by supervised release. Later convictions led to a longer custodial sentence. He states that an initial combined sentence of 20 years was reduced on appeal to a total of about nine years.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n While in prison, he says he was placed in high-security units because authorities viewed him as a gang leader. He describes several violent incidents during his detention.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Finnish media have reported on surveillance footage showing Jaff involved in assaults. Prosecutors have detailed cases involving violence, threats and deprivation of liberty.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n In the Rudaw interview, Jaff says many conflicts stemmed from disputes involving friends. He claims he intervened in financial disagreements and that situations escalated.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n He denies that he founded a formal gang. He describes the name AK-47, seen in his music videos, as a symbol used in rap culture and linked in his view to Kurdish identity.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Jaff says he now lives in the Kurdistan Region and feels safe. \u201cHere I will live a normal life like any Kurdistani,\u201d he told Rudaw.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n He adds that he intends to continue his rap career.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Although he faces a permanent entry ban to all Schengen countries, mentioned during the interview, Jaff does not rule out returning to Europe in the future. Under Finnish authorities\u2019 decision, the ban applies across the 29-country Schengen area.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n In the interview, Jaff accuses \u201cextreme right-wing parties\u201d in Finland of hating refugees and using his case as election propaganda.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n \u201cThey used my story as campaign advertising,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Finland\u2019s parliamentary term is nearing its end, and debate over immigration and crime has intensified ahead of the next general election.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Jaff states that he regrets causing embarrassment to Kurds in Finland and apologises if his actions affected them.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n \u201cI hope Finns see this interview and know I am not the person they described,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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