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Legislature of Moldova's Gagauz autonomous region passes law allowing St. George's ribbon

The lawmakers condemn the Moldovan authorities' attempt to distort the essence of Victory Day, the explanatory note reads

CHISINAU, April 29. /TASS/. The People's Assembly of Gagauzia adopted in two readings at once a special law to allow the use of the St. George's Ribbon in the autonomy after a ban on this symbol was enacted by the Moldovan authorities.

"The Gagauz autonomy’s law ‘On the use of the Victory symbols on the territory of Gagauzia’. [It has been] approved unanimously," Chairman of the legislative body, Dmitry Konstantinov, said at a meeting broadcast by the press service of the autonomy's parliament on Friday.

The document says that on the territory of Gagauzia, "The manufacture, possession and wearing of the symbols of the Great Victory of May 9, 1945, which are the St. George Ribbons and Victory Banners."

According to the explanatory note, the lawmakers condemn the Moldovan authorities' attempt to distort the essence of Victory Day and to present it as "war propaganda". They believe that the ban contradicts the norms of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Constitution, as well as the law ‘On the special legal status of Gagauzia’. The People's Assembly also approved a draft decision 'On organising and holding the St. George Ribbon action in Gagauzia'.

St. George Ribbons’ ban in Moldova

The idea of prohibiting St. George’s ribbon was proposed by lawmakers from the pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), while the opposition boycotted the meeting. Individuals who wear, display and distribute the St. George ribbon will face fines ranging from 4,500 lei (about $250) to 9,000 lei (about $500).

The ban was strongly condemned by a number of politicians in Moldova and Transnistria, as well as some Moldovan public organizations. There was a picket near the Parliament building, unknown persons painted a vacant multi-storey building in the center of Chisinau with the colors of St. George's ribbon. Moreover, ex-President of Moldova Igor Dodon assured that on May 9 he, along with thousands of Chisinau residents, will go to the Memorial of Military Glory, wearing the St. George ribbon on his chest, as he has done in the past.