Finnish court dismisses lawsuit challenging Covid restaurant rules

HELSINKI: A Finnish court has dismissed a lawsuit brought against the state for discrimination over restrictions introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a ruling reviewed by AFP on Monday.
A man sued the Finnish state and a Finnish food company after a cafe refused to serve him in December 2021 because he lacked a Covid-19 certificate to prove he had been vaccinated.
At the time, Finland’s Covid regulations allowed cafes and restaurants to demand vaccine certificates for entry.
When the man was denied breakfast at the Fazer Cafe in central Helsinki, he decided to sue the state for imposing the restrictions, as well as the company that owned the cafe.
He argued the refusal was discriminatory and violated his human rights, and demanded 20,000 euros ($21,800) in compensation.
But the Helsinki District Court on Friday dismissed the lawsuit, ordering the plaintiff to pay 105,000 euros in legal compensation to the Finnish state within a month and 16,460 euros in legal fees to Fazer.
“The plaintiff was aware of the corona passport requirement when he entered the cafe” as there were notes informing customers about the rules outside, the court said in its ruling.
In addition, the man’s lawyer was ordered to contribute to the payments, with the court citing his negligent handling of the case.
Niko Pyrhonen, a researcher focused on alternative media at Helsinki University, told AFP on Monday that the case had received attention among the anti-vaccination movement and critics of Covid-19 restrictions.
“The implementation of the Covid-19 passport only directly touches upon people who have not taken the vaccination,” he said, adding that the case had raised international interest because there was “similar opposition to policies that had been implemented in other countries.”