The ban on the display of certain symbols, adopted by the Moldovan parliament in April, meets the requirements of legality.
The Venice Commission recognized as lawful and proportionate Moldova’s ban on the display of symbols used by the Russian army in the war against Ukraine. This was reported to the Department of Communication of the Council of Europe, writes European Truth.
The Moldovan government requested the commission’s opinion on the introduction of a ban on the display of these symbols, as Moldovan communists and socialists opposed the decision.
The commission, which met on October 21-22, decided that, in the context of the war, the ban on the display of certain symbols used by the Russian armed forces during the invasion of Ukraine, adopted by the Moldovan parliament in April , meets the requirements of legality, legitimacy and proportionality.
The Venice Commission considers that it is possible that there is an urgent social need to impose such a restriction on freedom of expression, and that the display of such symbols used by the Russian army during the current aggression against Ukraine “could create a real and imminent danger of unrest and a threat to national security and the rights of others, including Ukrainian refugees in the country”.
The decision also states that the rapid adoption of this ban, which passed the parliament in just one week, was justified by the urgency of the issue related to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
At the same time, the commission recommends the introduction of a clear clarification on the categories of symbols that are “stylized” by other prohibited symbols, and the terms “propaganda or glorification” for extremist activities, as well also clarifying the procedure for applying the penalty.
Earlier, the Moldovan Foreign Ministry responded to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s statement about Moscow’s readiness to “protect the Russian-speaking population” in this country. The Russian Charge d’Affaires was called to explain the minority policy.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.