Germany makes public burning of EU flag punishable

The European country of Germany has made public burning of the European Union flag or that of another country punishable.

Henceforth, the act will attract a serious punishment of over three year imprisonment. Hereafter, the act will be treated as a hate crime.

The German parliament has approved the motion which aims to make the act of public burning of the flags punishable.

As per the new law, the act of public burning of the aforesaid flags is equal to the crime of defiling the German flag.

The same law applies for the EU anthem also.

The move has cone after Social Democrat (SPD) complained about protesters’ burning of the Israeli flag in Berlin in 2017.

Meanwhile, Alternative for Germany, which is the most powerful party rightist party in the European country of Germany, has strongly condemned the new law.

They have called the act as excessive interference into the right to free speech and artistic expression.

Spain, Italy and Greece also have similar laws which ban desecration of the national flag.

Photo Courtesy: Google/ images are subject to copyright