During the events held to celebrate Victory Day, over 300 persons were seen wearing the banned ribbon of Saint George. In 50% of the cases, the persons were identified and fined, said Minister of Home Affairs Ana Revenco. According to her, 36 persons who broke the law are state officials. These were summoned by the police and fined. On May 9, the police acted correctly and recorded the violations remotely, avoiding this way eventual provocations and altercations, IPN reports.
The minister said that each citizen has the right to challenge in court the fine imposed for wearing banned symbols that promote military aggression. The figures as to the number of those who disagree with the fine imposed on them for wearing the ribbon on May 9 are not yet available.
“For us, it was important to ensure a balance between the implementation of the law and maintaining of public order on May 9. Everyone saw how tense society was then. That’s why we documented the contraventions after the event,” Ana Revenco stated in the program “Black Box” on TV8 channel.
Among those who wore the banned ribbon during the Victory March were a former head of state, MPs, councilors and deputies of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia. The police dealt with all the similar cases reported after May 9. Immediately afterward, the number of such incidents decreased, said the minister.
In accordance with the law, the wearing, making, spreading and promotion of symbols used in the context of military aggression actions, war crimes or crimes against humanity are banned in Moldova. Among such symbols are the ribbon of Saint George and letters V and Z that are used as distinctive signs of the Russian army during war in Ukraine.
