People who display the letter "Z" as a show of support for Russia's war in Ukraine could now face prosecution in Germany. The interior minister for the state of Berlin said Monday that authorities will handle cases where the "Z" symbol—which stands for the Russian phrase "za pobedu" or "for victory"—is used to promote Russia's aggression. The same announcement was made by officials in Bavaria, Saxony, and Lower Saxony, while officials in Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt said they were looking into possible punishments for use of the symbol, reports USA Today.
Lower Saxony's interior minister, Boris Pistorius, said it was "incomprehensible" that the symbol—found on Russian military vehicles in Ukraine and at pro-Kremlin rallies around the world—"could be used in our country to condone this crime," per AFP. Bavaria's Justice Minister Georg Eisenreich said freedom of opinion is a "great asset," but it "ends where criminal law begins." Public approval of illegal acts is barred in Germany, with offenders facing fines or up to three years in jail.
"The letter Z as such is of course not forbidden, but its use may in individual cases constitute an endorsement of the Russian war of aggression," said a rep for the federal government's Interior Ministry, per Reuters. "The Russian war of aggression on the Ukraine is a criminal act, and whoever publicly approves of this war of aggression can also make himself liable to prosecution." The rep added that authorities would examine individual cases to determine "whether this could be a criminal act" and "take action accordingly." (More Germany stories.)
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