It was in September 2015 that the man had moved to Finland with his two children. 18 months later he is denied asylum application by the Finnish Migration Board.

The fears were true

The man appealed to the Administrative Court. His background as a Sunni Muslim in an Iraq where Shia militia was increasingly influential, as well as his previous role in Saddam Hussein's army and his work for an American company were some of the reasons why he had chosen to flee, reports Svenska Yle.

The man had also stated that he had been shot, had the car exploded and that his daughter had been subjected to a kidnapping attempt. All this within four months.

In December 2017, the man chose to return to Iraq voluntarily as it is called. Three weeks later he was shot dead in eastern Baghdad, three shots to the head and body, reported Svenska Yle last year. According to eyewitnesses, three unknown militiamen shot him from a pickup.

Violated the European Convention

The European Court of Human Rights now states that Finland violated the points of the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights concerning the Right to Life and Prohibition of Torture, Articles Two and Three.

In the decision, the Court finds that the Finnish authorities have had a reasonable explanation as to why they did not take the men's threats seriously enough.