4 suspects of Turku stabbings placed on remand

A court in Turku on Tuesday authorized temporary detention of three other suspects besides Abderrahman Mechkah, who allegedly stabbed two to death and injured eight others in Turku last week.

The three detainees were two born in 1999 and one born in 1989, all Moroccans.

Their cases will be reviewed again. The court authorized the police to keep the three in detention temporarily until the new hearings.

Before Tuesday's hearings, the police decided to set free a fourth Moroccan, aged 24. national radio Yle reported that he was no longer suspected of any crimes.

An international warrant has been issued for a fifth Moroccan, who was believed to be at large outside Finland.

The hearings were arranged behind closed doors in the underground security facility of the Turku court house. Media was allowed to be present at the start of all the four hearings though.

The alleged crimes of the main suspect were two murders with terrorist intention and eight attempts. Mechkah was heard via a video link from a hospital. He admitted having caused the deaths, but did not admit the murders.

Inspector Olli Toyras told a Finnish language newspaper Helsingin Sanomat the investigations have not revealed anything that would connect Muchkah with the violence in Spain last week, but the police does not exclude the possibility.

There are no indications of connections with ISIS either, said Toyras.

Toyras said the investigation "will take time". The deadline for prosecution is the end of next February.