A case was opened against a resident of the Kaliningrad region for tearing down a poster for May 9

A 41-year-old resident of Polessk is suspected under Part 3 of Art. 354.1 CC.

On June 2, 2026, the Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Kaliningrad Region reported on the initiation of a criminal case against a 41-year-old resident of Polessk. She is suspected under Part 3 of Art. 354.1 of the Criminal Code (desecration of the symbol of military glory, insult to the memory of the defenders of the Fatherland).

As the Investigative Committee notes, on May 7, 2026, the suspect, while intoxicated, tore off a poster dedicated to the celebration of Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War, depicting the St. George Ribbon and threw it into a flower bed. According to investigators, the defendant in the case thus desecrated the military symbol and the memory of the defenders of the Fatherland.

The status of a symbol of Russian military glory has been assigned to the St. George Ribbon since December 2022. However, we must recall that criminal prosecution is justified only in cases of crimes that pose a significant danger to society. In our opinion, the act of a resident of the Kaliningrad region does not pose such a danger. We also recall that in General Comment No. 34 to Art. 19 (freedom of opinion and expression) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights The UN Human Rights Committee expresses concern about laws regarding acts such as, in particular, disrespect for flags and symbols. As for insulting the memory of non-specific defenders of the Fatherland, the criminalization of acts defined so abstractly does not meet international legal standards in the field of human rights.

Sources

• In Polessk, a woman is suspected of desecrating a symbol of military glory // Investigative Directorate of Russia for the Kaliningrad Region. 2026. June 2.