The President signed a law on the use of prohibited symbols

On December 2, 2019, Vladimir Putin approved a law specifying the procedure for using Nazi symbols and symbols of banned organizations.

On December 2, 2019, President Vladimir Putin signed the law "On amendments to Article 6 of the Federal Law "On Perpetuating the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945" and Article 1 of the Federal law "On Counteracting Extremist Activity", which changes rules regarding the use of prohibited symbols.

In the first reading it was adopted in June, after which the text were Significant changes made in November readings took place the second and third , in November the law was approved Federation Council.

The adopted law replaces the legislative ban on " propaganda and public display of "Nazi symbols and paraphernalia and symbols of extremist organizations by a ban on its " use ". The exception to this prohibition would be " use cases " such symbolism, " in which a negative attitude is formed towards ideologies of Nazism and extremism and there are no signs of propaganda or justifications for Nazi and extremist ideology ."

Overall, we welcome the lifting of the total ban on display prohibited symbols. At the same time, it is not entirely clear how determine whether a "negative attitude" is being formed towards the Nazi ideology (perhaps it is believed that experts can establish this). Besides, this condition is likely to cover not all cases of displaying prohibited symbols without the purpose of propagating the corresponding ideology. Recall that in order to prevent of unlawful persecution, we proposed to rigidly fix it in the federal laws and art. 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, which establishes penalties for demonstrating prohibited symbols, the connection of demonstrating such symbols with the aim of propaganda.

It is also unclear what legal consequences this may lead to in practice. including the use of (even non-public) prohibited symbols in the definition concept of extremism. Note that the amendments to art. 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses penalties for displaying Nazi symbols are currently being prepared only for the first reading in the Duma, therefore, we do not yet know whether this rule will also prohibit public demonstration of symbolism is replaced by a ban on its use.

Sources

• Russia lifts ban on displaying Nazi symbols in science and culture // Russian newspaper. 2019. December 2.