The General Police Inspectorate said that 180 persons in the events staged on May 9 wore or disseminated symbols used for such purposes as military aggression, war crimes or crimes against humanity. Sixteen cases involved officials and nine of these are MPs. Five persons holding public posts from Gagauzia also committed violations, IPN reports.
There were compiled 15 reports and issued nine summons. Seven persons were questioned. The rest of the persons will be summoned to the police to be questioned.
“The police ensured public order and road traffic safety for all the public events held yesterday in the country to take place safely. Over 43,000 persons took part in events staged yesterday at more than 500 locations all over the country. Throughout this period, the police monitored the holding of these events and identified a number of violations of the legislation,” the Inspectorate noted in a press release.
Under the Contravention Code, the making, selling, spreading, holding for the purpose of spreading and public utilization of symbols that are generally known as symbols used in the context of military aggression, war crimes or crimes against humanity and for propaganda purposes or for glorying such actions are punished with a fine of 4,500 to 9,000 lei or 30 to 60 hours of community service in the case of private individuals, with a fine of 9,000 to 18,000 lei in the case of persons holding responsible posts and with a fine of 18,000 to 30,000 lei in the case of legal entities.
The police earlier announced that the persons who will wear the black-and-orange ribbon known as the ribbon of Saint George during public rallies and events on May 9 will be fined. If the bicolor ribbon is not an element of an award or medal, it is prohibit, as are the symbols “Z” and “V” that were recognized as symbols of military aggression.
In the program “Résumé” on RliveTV channel, PAS MP Lilian Carp, in connection with the recent decision adopted by the Constitutional Court, said that one more bill that will ban the use of symbols that promote the Russian military aggression in Ukraine, including the bicolor ribbon, will be proposed.
“The Constitutional Court’s decision impeded further the work of the Ministry of Home Affairs as the police fined a number of persons who wore the ribbon of Saint George and in court they will have to probe that these symbols were wore to promote the aggression of the Russian army. The police officers who drew up reports acted legally as the Constitutional Court didn’t repeal the law, but only specified when this symbol promotes military aggression and when it does not… According to this logic, someone who wears the swastika only because it is “beautiful” does not fall under the provisions that ban fascism and extremism, which is inadmissible. That’s why the Constitutional Court’s decision is illogical,” stated Lilian Carp.
