Moldova recognizes Russian Empire’s flag as extremist

The ruling was handed down by a Chisinau court after the judges considered the motion filed by the the Prosecutor General's Office, the Ministry of Justice, and the Information and Security Service of Moldova, Ukrinform reports with reference to NewsMaker.

It is noted that the court approved the motion filed by the authorities and established the "extremist nature of the flag with three horizontal black, yellow, and white lines."

The decision can be appealed in the Chisinau Appeal Chamber within 30 days.

The black-yellow-white flag was the official flag of the Russian Empire from 1858 to 1896. Today, it is actively used by Russian nationalist, monarchist, and patriotic organizations, the publication writes.

As reported, in April 2022, a ban on the use of "symbols of military aggression" entered into force in Moldova. Their public use is considered an extremist activity and is punishable by a fine. At the same time, the law does not exactly specify the symbols in question. Only the black-orange (St George’s) ribbon is mentioned directly. In all other cases, it is up to the police to decide whether a symbol shall be deemed extremist.