Can you be held responsible for emphasizing the Russian war symbol “Z” in Serbia, and why NOT?

Russian war symbol, the letter “Z” is considered one of the first associations to the war in Ukraine. There are several theories about the meaning of this symbol, while some believe that the Russian army uses it as a sign of recognition on the ground, others claim that it is a symbol of invasion and a sign of support for Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Encouraging and supporting aggression, as well as showing this symbol according to the laws in Serbia, is obviously not punishable.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, protests in support of Russian aggression have been organized in several cities in Serbia, highlighting the “Z” symbol, which was never condemned by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, and the Prosecutor’s Office remained silent.

The Embassy of Ukraine in Belgrade announced on March 29 that they expect the authorities in Serbia to remove the “Z” mark, which was written in various places. They stated that the mentioned symbol for Ukrainians means “Kill a Ukrainian”.

The signs of the “Z” symbol could be seen at the protests organized by ultra-right groups in Serbia in support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Participants in the protest against NATO and support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine gathered last week in the center of Belgrade at the invitation of the extreme right-wing group “People’s Patrol”.

Organized by the right-wing group “People’s Patrol”, a protest rally in support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine was held in Belgrade on March 13, when several dozen vehicles marked with letter “Z” and with Serbian and Russian flags circled the city’s streets.

Also, on the occasion of this protest, no one from the state leadership of Serbia reacted.

Ukraine has repeatedly appealed to countries to criminalize the use of the “Z” symbol.

Three German federal states – Berlin, Bavaria and Lower Saxony – have already announced that anyone who promotes the symbol could face up to three years in prison. The German Ministry of the Interior warned that those who show the symbol in order to “support” the invasion could “be subject to prosecution”.