Biathlete Arttu Heikkinen appeals conviction after accidentally shooting his godfather on a bird hunt
Originally published in Yle on October 08, 2025
Finnish biathlete Arttu Heikkinen has appealed his criminal conviction to the Rovaniemi Court of Appeal.
The 21‑year‑old accidentally shot his godfather with a shotgun during a bird hunt in Hyrynsalmi, Kainuu, in September last year. The shot struck the man’s upper body and head, and he lost sight in one eye.
Heikkinen told the district court it was a pure accident: he did not see his godfather behind trees and said the man had deviated from an agreed route. Heikkinen denied the charges at trial.
However, the Kainuu District Court ruled that Heikkinen should have exercised greater caution and found him guilty of aggravated causing of injury and of a hunting offense.
The court imposed 70 day‑fines, which—given his income—amount to the minimum payable of 420 euros. Heikkinen was also ordered to pay 6,800 euros in damages to his godfather. The decision was issued on August 26. Heikkinen has since filed an appeal, moving the case to the Rovaniemi Court of Appeal, which will decide later whether to take the case up.
National‑team status and licensing
Heikkinen, who represents Puijon Hiihtoseura and is considered one of Finland’s top biathlon prospects, competed for Finland at last season’s Biathlon World Championships and previously won a junior world title and two junior world bronze medals.
The Finnish Biathlon Association said in August that Heikkinen would remain involved with the national team for the time being. Association chair Jaakko Puurula told Yle that Heikkinen’s status is unchanged while the case is unresolved. The matter has been reported to the International Biathlon Union and to the association’s independent disciplinary committee, which will decide whether or not to review it.
Because the judgment is not yet final, Heikkinen’s firearms license remains valid, so he can continue training and competing as normal. According to information on the police website, a legally binding conviction for aggravated causing of injury always leads to revocation of firearms licenses; a basic hunting‑offense conviction can also result in revocation at the police’s discretion.
The article was updated on Oct 8, 2025 at 14:22 with comments from Jaakko Puurula.