Since April 2022, when a law prohibiting the use of symbols glorifying aggression came into force, the police have initiated more than 1,000 violation procedures, writes Estonian public media ERR News.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Estonia made changes to its legislation to prohibit the use of symbols glorifying Russian aggression. These include the orange-black St. George ribbon and the letter “Z” used in a certain way. Since then, the police have identified more than 1,000 violations. Anders Allandi, Senior Commissioner of the Northern Prefecture of the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), informed that 213 violations related to the use of prohibited symbols were registered in 2025. In most cases, a warning or a fine of around 400 euros was imposed.
Allandi pointed out that there have also been cases where people have been detained, and the amount of the fine can also exceed 400 euros – everything depends on the specific situation and whether the person admits their guilt.
Priit Põiklik, an advisor to the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs, said that fines and warnings can be imposed at the place of the violation, and then the procedure is complete. About 30 cases in which a fine was imposed have reached the court.
Meanwhile, former head of the Estonian Bar Association Jaanus Tehver sees a problem.
He criticized the law and pointed out that it lacks clarity
– the problem with the law is that it does not determine what is allowed and what is not, and people have to decide for themselves.
Põiklik said that this was the intention, and it allows the officer to decide whether to start the procedure for registering the violation, or to get by with a warning and behavior correction. To this, Tehver pointed out that it is also a problem that the police have to interpret what the specific rules mean. Several disputes about initiating a case have reached the Supreme Court.
In 2023, a protester was fined 120 euros for a poster that read “from the river to the sea.” The police indicated that the poster depicted a symbol associated with crimes against humanity. 18 months later, the Supreme Court overturned the punishment and closed the case. In another case, the Supreme Court upheld the punishment of a woman who had posted congratulations to Russian paratroopers on the social network Facebook.
According to the Supreme Court, whether a symbol is perceived as support for crimes must be assessed from a perspective that is understandable to ordinary people. The meaning of the symbol, the time, the place and the manner of display must be considered. Tehver said that in practice, applying the law means provoking discussions that create costs for both the people and the state. The simplest thing would be to abandon a law that creates more problems than it solves, and the Estonian legal system does not need such a law.
If abandoning the law seemed too radical, Tehver suggested that it should at least be amended.
Allandi pointed out that the law was necessary because supporting international crimes could lead to more serious violations. The Commissioner stressed that supporting or condoning international crimes opens the door to more serious international crimes, and it is important that Estonians do not feel threatened and that crimes do not become a normal part of everyday life.
Erik Kalda, editor of the newspaper Põhjarannik, said that although some people in Ida-Viru County still do not understand why they are being punished for using symbols they associate with the defeat of fascism, the majority have changed their behavior. If a few years ago it was common for Russian-speaking residents to use St. George ribbons in May, now this is no longer the case, and everyone is clearly aware that it is a prohibited symbol.
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