TALLINN - An Estonian court fined nationalist activist Juri Liim 25,300 kroons (1,617 euros) for threatening to blow up the Bronze Soldier Soviet monument in central Tallinn.
Liim was found to have threatened to detonate a bomb unless the controversial memorial was removed. The Harju County Court found the 65-year-old guilty of a grave breach of public order by making threats to use an explosive substance. The court gave Liim the possibility to pay the fine over a period of 10 months.
Liim, who pleaded not guilty, intends to appeal against the court decision. The court handed down the same punishment to Liim as had been demanded by District Prosecutor Leelet Kivioja. The defense attorney for Liim, Vaike Eerma, said the accusations against the activist were unfounded and said he should have been acquitted.
According to the indictment, Liim made the threats on two television news broadcasts, the Reporter news service on Kanal2 television on May 10 and 17, and the Kahvel talk show on channel TV3 on May 11.
Liim allegedly said he knew where explosives could be obtained from and that getting the necessary substance would not be a problem. He also publicly declared that he knew where to place the charges so that the monument would be destroyed, as he had examined the monument previously with that cause in mind.
Under Estonian law, the offense that Liim was convicted for is punishable with a fine or up to five years in jail.
