Latvia: Man Facing Five Years in Prison for Holding a Russian Flag

Democracy is all about freedom.

However, in such utopias, some freedom is more freedom than others.

You are free to stretch out another man’s anus. But that doesn’t mean you’re free to hold a flag of a country that is against man-anal stretching.

RT:

The mother of a young Latvian man, who is facing charges for brandishing a Russian flag during Victory Day celebrations in the EU country’s capital Riga, has insisted that his arrest was groundless.

Alexander Stefanov was detained by police on May 10 near a monument commemorating Soviet soldiers in Riga. He had a Russian national flag with him, and was charged with justifying genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes against peace and war crimes.

The Latvian authorities said that this year, instead of celebrating Victory Day, the country would mourn those who died or were wounded in Russia’s ongoing military operation in Ukraine. They banned the display of any Russian or Soviet symbols, warning that it would be considered glorification of “aggression,” and could lead to criminal and administrative liability.

Alexander’s mother Svetlana Stefanova told RT that her son could face up to five years in prison if convicted, but a lighter punishment like probation or a fine was also possible.

This is really just insane.

Like 10% of the population of Latvia, this man is ethnically Russian. He was not celebrating the war in the Ukraine – although I have no idea how that can be illegal – he was celebrating the Russian victory in World War II, a war which his grandfathers (maybe great-grandfathers) fought and possibly died in.

These laws they are using now to ban Russian symbols are based on the laws used to ban Nazi symbols. They are saying that any support for Russia is “genocide,” despite the fact that no one other than lunatics are claiming that Russia is committing a “genocide” in the Ukraine.

How can anyone claim that democracy is anything other than a brutal and authoritarian system that crushes all basic human freedom?

Democracy believers and promoters claim that the people chose democracy. But why would people choose to live without freedom?