Deputy Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine from the “Opposition Platform – For Life” faction Ilya Kiva posted a photo in a cap with earflaps with a Soviet star and called for his arrest. The snapshot is available on the parliamentarian’s page at Facebook .
“Nazi, arrest me! With this star, my grandfather, cut the throats of the Nazis!”, – says the caption to the photo.
In this way, the deputy reacted to initiation of a criminal case against the 19-year-old a resident of Kiev for wearing a cap with earflaps with Soviet symbols. According to article 436 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (“Production, distribution of communist, Nazi symbols and propaganda of communist and national-socialist (Nazi) totalitarian regimes”), the violator faces up to five years in prison with confiscation of property.
Since May 2015, Ukraine has a law on decommunization. It provides for a ban on the use of Soviet symbols, condemnation of the communist regime of the USSR and the opening of the archives of Soviet special services available in the country. As part of the implementation of the law, cities, streets are renamed, monuments to Soviet leaders and leaders are dismantled.