A Russian man who has been granted asylum in Finland was left without a rental apartment in Kuopio because his name appeared on a list maintained by a Russian authority, Yle reports in an extensive article published today.
In Yle’s article, the man is referred to as Aleksandr. He says he was placed on a list maintained by Russia’s financial monitoring authority, Rosfinmonitoring, after fighting on Ukraine’s side in Mariupol during the early stages of the war. According to Yle, his inclusion on the list was one piece of evidence of political persecution when he was granted asylum in Finland.
Aleksandr and his wife applied for a rental apartment from Kodisto in Kuopio in spring 2024. According to Yle, Kodisto refused to rent an apartment to him because information had reached the company through Suomen Asiakastieto indicating that Aleksandr’s name appeared on the Rosfinmonitoring list. Kodisto is part of the international real estate company Newsec.
According to Yle, Aleksandr had to spend a long time trying to find out why the apartment had not been rented to him. Kodisto directed him to ask Suomen Asiakastieto, which in turn directed him back to Kodisto. According to Yle, the reason for the rental ban was only revealed in August 2025.
The list was not a Finnish or EU sanctions list, but one maintained by a Russian authority. The case raises a broader question about what kinds of international sanctions and risk lists Finnish companies use in their decision-making. According to Yle, international sanctions lists are not reviewed in advance in Finland, even though they may include political opponents of authoritarian states.
In March 2026, the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman assessed that Kodisto had discriminated against Aleksandr. According to the Ombudsman, Suomen Asiakastieto may also have indirectly discriminated against him. The Ombudsman’s statement is not legally binding.
Kodisto and Asiakastieto acknowledge in Yle’s article that a mistake was made and say they are changing their practices. Aleksandr has taken the case to the National Non-Discrimination and Equality Tribunal, where he is seeking an official finding of discrimination.
During the reporting of the article, Kodisto offered Aleksandr 1,000 euros in compensation. Aleksandr declined the offer, saying he considered the compensation insufficient in relation to what had happened.
According to Yle, Aleksandr now lives in Kuopio with his wife. They have since found a rental apartment.