Man jailed for 2 years for slaughtering animals in halal method

The Ostrobothnia District Court sentenced one person to two years imprisonment for slaughtering animals without stunning them first violating the Finnish animal welfare laws, reported national broadcaster Yle on Monday.

The court also ordered the convict to pay more than 60,000 euros fine to the state.

The court also convicted ten other people for health endangerment and violating animal welfare laws and sentenced them to suspended imprisonment in different terms along with financial punishment.

The main convict was also banned from keeping animals in future.

According to the verdict, the main convict used the halal method and slaughtered up to 2,500 sheep in between 2003 and 2020.

The accused was also found guilty for slaughtering other animals including cattle and turkeys using the same method.

According to the state law, animals must be sedated before slaughter. The law, however, does provide an exception for religiously slaughtered animals that are sedated at the same time as bloodletting begins, said the Yle report.

As per the halal method, animal throat is slaughtered and drained the blood from the carcass.