German states rule public use of pro-Russia ´Z´ punishable

Several German states have announced the public use of the Russian "Z" symbol to show support for Moscow's war on Ukraine will be punishable by law, reported dpa.

Berlin state government interior senator Iris Spranger told the Tagesspiegel newspaper Monday: "In cases where a war context can be established for the use of white Z's, as can be seen on Russian military vehicles, that of course means an endorsement of the war of aggression. That would be punishable by law and we will immediately intervene."

Spranger referred to section 140 of the penal code, which makes condoning certain offences punishable. The charge carries up to three years in prison or a fine.

On Friday, the state's Lower Saxony and Bavaria announced they would criminalize use of the symbol. "We do not accept the approval of crimes that violate international law," Bavaria's Justice Minister Georg Eisenreich told dpa.

In the city of Stuttgart and the state of North Rhine Westphalia, lawmakers spoke in favour of a ban on the symbol.

"The 'Z' symbol of Putin's fascism should be banned across Germany," Joachim Stamp, North Rhine Westphalia refugee minister, wrote on Twitter.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the white letter "Z" has started appearing on Russian tanks and uniforms, and then became more widely used on buildings, cars, clothing and on social media to show support for President Vladimir Putin's invasion.

The letter stands for the phrase "For Victory," according to the Russian Ministry of Defence. While the slogan would be written "za pobedu" in English, the Cyrillic alphabet does not have the letter "Z".