Crimes > Pre-trial investigation of an offence > Questioning the parties involved > Rights of persons being interviewed

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Rights of persons being interviewed

Before the interview begins, the police have a duty to notify the persons to be interviewed of their status in the pre-trial investigation. A suspect must be informed of the act of which he/she is suspected.

The police have a duty to treat those they are interviewing in a calm and rational manner. The police are not permitted to employ any knowingly false statements, promises or fabrications concerning any special benefits, or to tire, threaten or coerce the person being interviewed, or to use any other inappropriate means or methods to influence the person's willpower, memory, judgement or freedom to decide, in order to extract a confession or influence the type of statement given.

If the person being interviewed does not speak one of Finland's official languages used by the authorities or cannot be understood due to a sensory handicap or speech defect, the police have a duty to arrange an interpreter for the person concerned.

The police may not exceed the time limit set for an interview. An examination record is always prepared of an interview.

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