Finnish Police Extend Europe-Wide Search for Vastaamo Hacker Aleksanteri Kivimäki

HELSINKI — Finnish police have issued a Europe-wide arrest warrant for Aleksanteri Kivimäki, the hacker convicted in the massive Vastaamo psychotherapy data breach. The 29-year-old failed to return to prison to serve the rest of his sentence.

What Is the Case About?

Kivimäki hacked into the database of Vastaamo, a Finnish psychotherapy centre, in 2018. He stole the personal records of about 33,000 patients. In 2020, he tried to extort money from both the company and its clients. He published some patients' therapy notes online and demanded payment in cryptocurrency.

The Helsinki Court of Appeal sentenced him to six years and 11 months in prison. He was convicted of aggravated data breach, thousands of counts of privacy violations, and more than 21,000 counts of attempted extortion. The case had more victims than any other criminal trial in Finnish history.

Why Is He Wanted?

Kivimäki was released from pre-trial detention in September 2025. The court worried he had already spent too much time in custody and could be owed compensation. A nationwide wanted notice was issued in July 2026 after he failed to show up at prison. He still has about five months of his sentence left to serve.

His lawyer, Peter Jaari, said he does not know where Kivimäki is but believes he is abroad.

What Does the New Warrant Mean?

The European Arrest Warrant (EAW) is a fast-track legal tool. It allows EU member states to request the arrest and transfer of a person for trial or to serve a prison sentence. The warrant also covers some non-EU countries, such as Norway.

This is not the first time Kivimäki has fled. A previous European Arrest Warrant was issued in 2022. He was arrested in France in February 2023. He also went missing for about a week in early 2024 before police found him in Helsinki.

What Happens Next?

If Kivimäki is found in any participating country, he will be arrested and sent back to Finland. The Vastaamo case remains one of the most serious cybercrime and extortion cases in Finnish history.