In terms of the number of victims — more than 30,000 of the therapy centre’s clients — the case is the largest in Finnish history.
Aleksanteri Kivimäki, who was convicted of hacking the psychotherapy centre Vastaamo about five years ago, has filed a leave for appeal with the Supreme Court.
Among other crimes, Helsinki District Court found Kivimäki guilty of hacking the psychotherapy centre and then trying to use the stolen data to extort both patients and the centre itself.
Earlier this year, Helsinki’s Appeals Court raised the lower court’s initial sentence of just over six years to six years and 11 months, one month short of the maximum sentence.
Newspaper Ilta-Sanomat has reported that Kivimäki filed a motion to appeal the case at the Supreme Court on Monday. It said the appeal court confirmed the filing had come in just before the end of office hours that day, the final day that filing was possible. Helsingin Sanomat has also reported about the Supreme Court filing.
Last week, Kivimäki’s lawyer, Peter Jaari, told Yle that the appeal filing would be submitted by Monday of this week.
According to Jaari, Kivimäki will demand that the appeal court’s tightened sentencing be overturned or adjusted. However, at the time the lawyer said he did not wish to comment on the grounds of the appeal.
As he was serving his prison sentence, Kivimäki was released from prison in September 2025, over concerns that he risked being imprisoned too long — which would enable him to demand compensation from the state.
Kivimäki has denied being guilty of the allegations and criminal charges.
His lawyer said last week that he did not know Kivimäki’s current whereabouts, or whether he planned to return to continue serving his sentence voluntarily.
In terms of the number of victims — more than 30,000 of the therapy centre’s clients — the case is the largest in Finnish history.
During the district court trial, a lawyer told the court that a number of the victims had died by suicide after their patient records had been stolen and used in extortion attempts.
