I'm asking because it sounds from your post like you're opposed to those countries taking such measures. I've seen people be outraged at this sort of stuff and without fail, it's always been someone who's nice and safe and not in danger of being invaded by Russia.
My take on it is that unless you're from one of those countries, or have some other form of close experience or relationship with those countries, you don't really get to judge this. Supporting the war is tantamount to treason over there, because it is. Those countries are in danger of being the next target.
When is it okay to make it treason to support or accept a foreign invasion like this? When it happens more than two borders over? One border? Only when it's your own? Or maybe it's never okay, live and let live, the putin wants what the putin wants?
These laws are very much an unfortunate slippery slope.
Because geography?
Do you still not get that if Ukraine falls, those countries are next? Do you still not get that while Ukraine fights for its existence, its western neighbours are hoping all to god this gets resolved before it reaches them?
Do you still not get that Europe is sending billions of euros of military aid to Ukraine, so that the fight stays contained within Ukraine?
And do you still not get that the further this spreads, the higher the risk of nuclear war?
This isn't a game anymore. This isn't Keyboard Warrior Happy Time, where we all get together and meta-talk about a variety of fallacies on the news du jour that might happen years down the line.
People are fucking dying by the thousands, and if we don't stop it, it'll be by the millions.
The pandemic was nothing compared to what we're potentially facing if we fuck up.
It is hilarious that some parts of Germany outlaws "Z" while at the same time giving weapons that will end up in the Azov regiment, which soldiers would be thrown in jail in Germany for wearing their nazi insignia. Like, Germany is for real arming neonazis in a foreign war.
But I guess I am the mad person for believing "the West" should not touch this war with a 10ft pole.
It's no more hilarious than the US paying lip service to democracy and then overthrowing whole foreign governments, or the US babbling about the First Amendment and then propping up theocracies in the Middle East. In fact, if anything, German actions are far less hypocritical, their scale considered.
You're blaming others for thinking that position is utter madness?
Azov has about 1,000 members, while the Ukrainian active personel is 245,000. Why would the non-nazi majority hand the power to the 0.4% minority?
If you're claiming that these groups do not have an outsized influence on Ukraininan politics/institutions, explain to me how what happened in 2014 is possible.
After months of protests, the government reached an agreement with the 3 most important political parties from the opposition (which were representing something like 40% of the votes). Apparently this agreement didn't sit right for Right Sector activists, which by the way were not even in the parliament, and they straight up threatened an armed coup.
> Activist Volodymyr Parasiuk warned from the stage that if Yanukovych did not resign by 10:00 the next day, an armed coup would be staged.
Do you think that an extra-parliamentary group with explicit neo-Nazi ideologies would be allowed to override the parliament's will, by threatening to kill the president, in any other country?
By the way, this is not to say that all of Ukrainian are Nazis. But 20% of the population can obtain 80% of the impact, especially when they are very well armed and moved by a dangerous ideology.
EDIT: Funnily enough, Right Sector leader Yarosh also recently threatened to "hang Zelensky by a tree" if he "betrays Ukraine". Can you be absolutely sure that these people and these threats are not having an influence on peace negotiation talks?
You could get prosecuted for approving terrorist acts, genocides, whatever else. Most of the time it ends in probation and fine, I think one famous case was with some asswipe celebrating the New Zealand mass shooting.
There is also law against "promoting movements that aim to attack human rights and freedom" which is the law that lands you in prison if you promote Nazi ideology, wear Nazi symbols and similar. The Russian Z would fit there as well.
In case of Slovakia, the cited law says that:
- deliberately threatening peace by instigating war, spreading war propaganda or otherwise supporting war efforts is a crime punisheable by gaol sentences of 1 to 10 years.
- the sentence is 10 to 25 years or lifetime:
- if the perpetrator is doing so on behalf or in connection with a foreign power
- as a member of a dangerous group (not specified in the article, but likely elsewhere)
- during a crisis
There's nothing in the cited law to do with Russia or Ukraine specifically.
https://spravy.rtvs.sk/2022/02/za-podporu-vojnovej-propagand...
> The title actually makes it sound less drastic than it is. Czech Republic, Slovakia and Latvia actively investigate people "supporting" or "accepting" the invasion. There are official statements from government representatives, there are hot lines to snitch on your fellow citizens, and yes, there have been arrests.
It's actually only Latvia that the article mentions to have a hotline.
https://multipolarista.com/2022/03/03/crime-support-russia-u...
"It’s a jailable crime to support Russia’s Ukraine war in EU members Slovakia and Czech Republic"
The title actually makes it sound less drastic than it is. Czech Republic, Slovakia and Latvia actively investigate people "supporting" or "accepting" the invasion. There are official statements from government representatives, there are hot lines to snitch on your fellow citizens, and yes, there have been arrests.