Anyone who publicly supports the war against Ukraine by displaying the large white letter "Z" visible on the vehicles of the Russian invasion forces can be punished in Germany, the spokesperson of the Federal Ministry of the Interior said.
Marek Wede, responding to a question at the government spokesman's briefing in Berlin, emphasized that "of course the letter is not banned", but its use in certain cases may express support for Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, and this is prohibited under Article 140 of the Criminal Code.
This is because "the Russian invasion is a crime," and anyone who publicly expresses support for a crime makes himself liable to punishment, the spokesman explained.
He added that federal security agencies are monitoring the use of the symbol, and the government welcomes the fact that several provinces have promised to act on the matter. The large, white letter Z, used to express support for the Russian invasion, has so far mainly appeared in demonstrations, but it also occurs in cases of vandalism, for example when the tarpaulins of trucks are torn in a Z shape, he explained.
Pursuant to Article 140 of the German Penal Code, public support for crimes is punishable by imprisonment for up to three years or a fine.
In recent days, several provinces have signaled that they will not tolerate public support for the Russian invasion through the white capital letter Z. On Friday, the governments of Lower Saxony and Bavaria, and on Monday the leadership of the regional capital, Berlin, and the state of Brandenburg announced that users of the symbol can expect criminal consequences.
MTI
Photo: MTI/AP/Sputnik/Ramil Sitdikov
