{"id":1405247,"date":"2022-03-28T15:59:56","date_gmt":"2022-03-28T19:59:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1405247"},"modified":"2022-03-28T15:59:59","modified_gmt":"2022-03-28T19:59:59","slug":"free-speech-clampdown-german-states-criminalise-z-symbol-used-by-russia-supporters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/free-speech-clampdown-german-states-criminalise-z-symbol-used-by-russia-supporters\/","title":{"rendered":"Free Speech Clampdown: German States Criminalise \u2018Z\u2019 Symbol Used by Russia Supporters"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffree-speech-clampdown-german-states-criminalise-z-symbol-used-by-russia-supporters%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1405247&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><\/div>\n<p class=\"subheading\">A number of federal states in Germany have said that the symbolic use of the letter \u2018Z\u2019 can now be considered a criminal offence.<\/p>\n<p>Officials in at least two German states have threatened residents with criminal prosecution should they decide to use the letter \u2018Z\u2019 as a symbol.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p>While innocuous as of a number of months ago, the letter has since gained infamy as a result of Russian forces using a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/news\/z-on-russias-tanks-and-capturing-the-publics-military-mindset\/\">Z-like mark<\/a> on their vehicles, likely as a way of avoiding issues with friendly fire.<\/p>\n<p>The letter has evolved to become a rallying symbol for supporters of Russian servicemen, as well as Russia\u2019s President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n<p>Consequently, authorities in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/fact-tank\/2015\/11\/20\/40-of-millennials-ok-with-limiting-speech-offensive-to-minorities\/\">anti-free speech<\/a> Germany have decided to clamp down on the letter\u2019s usage, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deutschlandfunk.de\/strafrechtliche-konsequenzen-fuer-z-symbol-100.html\">report<\/a> by broadcaster\u00a0Deutschlandfunk.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>According to officials in the federal states of Bavaria and Lower Saxony, those who publicly express their \u201capproval\u201d of Russia\u2019s war efforts should expect to be put under criminal investigation, while the public display of the \u2018Z\u2019 symbol could be considered a \u201cdisturbance of the peace\u201d and a criminal offence.<\/p>\n<p>Germany is not the only location where the symbol is under fire, with a number of Lithuanian MPs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2022\/03\/24\/lithuanian-mps-want-to-outlaw-russian-military-z-symbol\">calling<\/a> for those who use the symbol to face fines of up to \u20ac500.<\/p>\n<p>However, for German authorities, such a punishment seemingly does not go far enough, with\u00a0<em>Die Welt <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.welt.de\/politik\/ausland\/article237794889\/Ukraine-Krieg-Niedersachsen-und-Bayern-gehen-gegen-russisches-Z-Symbol-vor.html\">reporting<\/a> that\u00a0showing the symbol during a demonstration could land a protester with a potential three-year jail term on top or instead of a possible fine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe do not accept international crimes being condoned,\u201d the publication reports Bavaria\u2019s Justice Minister,\u00a0Georg Eisenreich, as saying, while also threatening Russian \u201csympathisers\u201d with criminal proceedings should they dare express their beliefs.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Thought Police: Germany Conducts Mass Raids over Online \u2018Insults\u2019 Against Politicians<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/4g9ykOdV3v\">https:\/\/t.co\/4g9ykOdV3v<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BreitbartLondon\/status\/1506662055599693825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 23, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>While three years behind bars may appear to be an extreme response to someone displaying the letter \u2018Z\u2019 during a protest, the threat is very much in keeping with German attitudes towards freedom of expression.<\/p>\n<p>For example, German police conducted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/europe\/2022\/03\/23\/thought-police-germany-conducts-mass-raids-over-online-insults-against-politicians\/\">mass raids<\/a> on the homes of those suspected of posting insults online during last year\u2019s general election on Tuesday, because, as the\u00a0Federal Criminal Police Office put it, \u201cinsults, slander and defamation of people in political life [are] particularly punishable\u201d under the criminal code.<\/p>\n<p>Over 100 people across 13 different states were \u201csearched and questioned\u201d during the police operation, with the \u201cjoint day of action\u201d being used by German authorities to threaten netizens who would post similar insults, slander, or defamation against elected officials online in the future.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith the day of action, we are making it clear: Anyone who posts hate messages must expect the police to be at the door afterwards,\u201d said\u00a0President of the Federal Criminal Police Office, Holger M\u00fcnch.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis day of action illustrates the extent to which public officials and elected representatives are insulted, slandered and threatened on the Internet,\u201d said another official,\u00a0Torsten Kunze.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn order to prevent the withdrawal of those affected from reaching a level that endangers democracy, we are prosecuting these crimes consistently and in close cooperation with the public prosecutors of the other federal states.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Czechs Warned They Could Be Jailed for Supporting Russia on Social Media<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/P2ggkDEZOI\">https:\/\/t.co\/P2ggkDEZOI<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BreitbartLondon\/status\/1498629171806932992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 1, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h5 class=\"western\"><em><span>Follow Breitbart London on Facebook:<\/span><\/em><em>\u00a0<\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BreitbartLondon\/\"><span>Breitbart London<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A number of federal states in Germany have said that the symbolic use of the letter \u2018Z\u2019 can now be considered a criminal offence. Officials in at least two German<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":297,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1405247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1405247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/297"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1405247"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1405247\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1405247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1405247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1405247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}