Johan Bäckman

Versions of names: Бекман, Йохан
Finland

Johan Bäckman is a Finnish social scientist, doctor of political science and author of several books. He is a Chairperson of a radical political organisation Finnish Anti-Fascist Committee (SAFKA), which was established in 2008. Johan Bäckman often appears in the Russian media commenting on Finnish-Russian relations and has been declared persona non grata in Estonia and Moldova. He participated as a candidate in the elections to the European Parliament (2009) and the Finnish Parliament  (2011) on the list of Workers' Party of Finland, but was not elected. In May 2014 Bäckman declared himself a representative of the separatist "Donetsk People's Republic" (DPR) in Finland. He frequently travelled to the DPR and observed its so-caled primary regional elections in 2016 and the "general elections" in 2018. In October 2018, Bäckman received a 12-month suspended jail sentence for aggravated defamation and stalking of Finnish journalist Jessikka Aro, who investiated pro-Kremlin Internet trolls. In 2019 he also observed the illegitimate parliamentary elections in the unrecognized Republic of South Ossetia occupied by Russia.

Corresponding elections

Presidential Election Russia Crimea 2018
illegitimate
The overwhelming majority of the world’s nations does not recognise Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Autonomous Republic of Crimea in 2014, while international institutions such as the OSCE ODIHR considered Russian elections held in Crimea as illegitimate and did not send international election observers there. In their turn, Ukrainian authorities warned that any participation in the electoral process in Crimea would be illegal.
Presidential Election Unrecognized Donetsk People’s Republic 2018
illegitimate
On 11 November 2018, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, located within the internationally recognised borders of Ukraine, held “elections” to elect a head of the “republic” and members of its “parliament”. The overwhelming majority of the world’s nations does not recognise the sovereignty of the Donetsk People’s Republic, while international institutions such as the OSCE ODIHR considered “elections” there as illegitimate and did not send international election observers there.
Parliamentary Election Unrecognized Republic of South Ossetia 2019
illegitimate
On 9 June 2019, the so-called Republic of South Ossetia, located within the internationally recognised borders of Georgia, held “parliamentary elections”. The overwhelming majority of the world’s nations does not recognise the sovereignty of the Republic of South Ossetia, while international institutions such as the OSCE ODIHR considered “elections” there as illegitimate and did not send international election observers there.
Plebiscite Election Russia 2020
legitimate
In order to have a possibility to stay in power until 2036, Russian President Vladimir Putin decided, in January 2020, to change the Constitution of the Russian Federation and legitimise its change through the “all-Russian voting”.

Missions