Finland Offers Political Asylum to Detained Russian G Ivan Fedotov & Others

Ivan Fedotov is currently fulfilling his contractually obligated military commitment in a place called Severodyinsky, which is a naval city near a remote military base located approximately here:

Not a place I would like to forcibly carry out military service while my country is currently engaged in open conflict. But that's just me.

Fedotov's case has been a ghastly reminder to other Russians with similar obligations with NHL aspirations, most notably Minnesota Wild star F Kirill Kaprizov. Many such players are left weighing their options of fulfilling their obligations or trying to bribe their way out of it. Hardly an enviable position.

But there might be an alternative. Finland, which borders Russia on its northern edge, has offered political asylum to any such affected Russians, including Ivan Fedotov. Although, Fedotov's fate is likely sealed, at least for the next year. But that doesn't mean others are destined to follow in his footsteps.

Political Asylum is defined as 'the protection granted by a nation to someone who has left their native country as a political refugee.'

State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova reacted to the idea as one might expect: unfavorably.

Roughly translated:

- Did anyone ask for asylum for this? They're so good, of course! Political asylum is given when, in the opinion of the injured person, the state is somehow wrong with him. I don't understand the reason for granting political asylum for Russian hockey players. What offends them with? It's just a provocation. I assume that now it will meet repeatedly from the West for athletes or someone else. They will provoke our athletes to leave.

The Finnish government could simply be posturing for the sake of publicity, so we will have to wait & see if any eligible Russians take them up on their offer.

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