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Police: Attempted attack on Finnish foreign minister was not premeditated

Police are continuing an investigation into Sunday's incident at a farmers' market in Vantaa’s Korso district.

 Soldiers of Odin -takkinen mies yritti lyödä ulkoministeri Timo Soinia.
The suspect was subdued before he could carry out an attack. Image: Heikki Saukkomaa / Lehtikuva
Yle News

On Sunday, security personnel quickly moved to subdue a man wearing clothing adorned with the logo of anti-immigrant group Soldiers of Odin, who attempted to strike Foreign Minister Timo Soini.

Police are investigating the incident as both attempted assault and violent resistance to public officials.

The suspect, a man born in 1967, is being held by police in Vantaa.

"At the moment, there are no indications that there was anything especially premeditated about the incident, or that any other individuals were involved," stated the head of the police investigation, Juha Springare, on Monday.

Soini has been Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2015. He is the former leader of the Finns Party, but left to join the Blue Reform faction in mid-2017.

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