Translated by Ollie Richardson & Angelina Siard

19:05:01
01/08/2017

glavnovosti.com

The head of Zhitomir regional “Social-Democratic Party” (“SDP”) Roman Davydenko published on July 31st a controversial photo on twitter. In the photo the depicted sunrise is captioned: “Usual sunrise in Ukraine”. The sun is replaced with a nazi swastika. Davydenko himself added: “Let’s burn Vata [pejorative word for Russians; from ‘Vatnik’ – ed]!”

As a reminder, in Ukraine since April 9th, 2015, the law “on the Condemnation of the Communist and National Socialist (Nazi) Regimes, and Prohibition of Propaganda of Their Symbols” is in effect. In the law there is a designation of the symbols of the national-socialist (nazi) totalitarian regime that fall under the ban of propaganda of Nazism:

• symbols of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP);

• state flag of the Nazi Germany of 1939-1945 period;

• state anthem of the Nazi Germany of 1939-1945 period;

• name of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP);

• images, inscriptions dedicated to the events related to the activities of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP);

• representation of slogans of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP), quotations of the persons, who held key management positions in the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP), top bodies of state and government of the Nazi Germany and the territories occupied by it in 1935-1945.

The flag with a swastika was the main symbol of nazi Germany, and an eagle with a swastika is the official coat of arms of the Third Reich. World War II between 1939-1945 affected dozens of countries, hundreds of millions of people were lost, and around the world it is considered bad form to flaunt a fascination with the nazi ideology.

In Germany itself in the 86th paragraph of the Criminal Code a ban is provided for any use of nazi symbols is punished by imprisonment for up to three years or a penalty.

Within the framework of the implementation of the aforementioned law, which gained notoriety among people as “The law on decommunization”, everywhere in Ukraine the monuments from the period of the USSR, memorial plaques to liberators of the cities and marshals of the Soviet army whose troops liberated Ukraine from occupation by nazi Germany are being dismantled.

The Ukrainian political scientist Pavel Karnazytsky commented to “Glavnovosti” about the publication of a swastika by the Zhitomir social-democrat.

“As we see, Ilya Kiva acquired new friends on interests. Not only among those who he brings to Greek islands. It is interesting how Socialist International will react to propaganda of fascism. Europe honors social-democrats who died at the hands of the fascist regime in Germany in 1933-45, and the publication of a swastika is a slap in the face for Socialist International. I think, as minimum, there will be a lawsuit for a big sum on the ban on the use of socialist symbolics for representatives of this party”.

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