Post–World War II legality of Nazi flags



The use of flags from the German Third Reich (1933-1945) is currently subject to legal restrictions in a number of countries.

Whilst legal in the overwhelming majority of countries, the display of flags associated with the Nazi regime (see: Nazi flags) is subject to restriction or an outright ban in others, particularly those with a direct involvement in the Second World War, and Germany itself.

Many Nazi flags make use of swastika symbols; however, the swastika is not always used in connection with the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei movement or of the German Third Reich or German military of 1933-1945. Use of swastikas pre-dates the German Third Reich by some 3000 years. It is possible to display certain non-Nazi swastikas even in areas where Nazi swastikas are prohibited.

Canada
Canada has no legislation specifically restricting the ownership, display, purchase, import or export of Nazi flags. However sections 318-320 of the Criminal Code, adopted by Canada's parliament in 1970 and based in large part on the 1965 Cohen Committee recommendations, provide law enforcement agencies with broad scope to intervene if such flags are used to communicate hatred in a public place (particularly sections 319(1), 319(2), and 319(7).

Cyprus
Cyprus has no legislation designed to restrict the ownership, display, purchase, import or export of Nazi flags, nor does the Criminal Code of Cyprus expressly allow for racist or other bias motives to be taken into account when sentencing.

However, use of Nazi flags in a manner likely to cause discrimination, hatred, or violence may be dealt with under Cyprus' ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. This allows for the prosecution of anyone who expresses an idea (in public, using almost any medium including flags) which insults another person's race, religion or ethnicity.

Czech Republic
The Czech Republic has no legislation restricting ownership, display, purchase, import or export of Nazi flags; indeed Czech legislation makes even the banning of protests involving such flags very difficult.

The police may cancel such events only once it becomes clear that protesters are inciting hate, which is deemed illegal in the Czech Republic. Legal regulation of hate crimes in the Czech Republic is contained in Act 140/1961 The Criminal Act (amended by Act 175/1990).

Finland
Finland has no specific legislation aimed at controlling ownership, display, purchase, import or export of Nazi flags, however the Criminal Code (39/1889) (especially Chapter 11 'War crimes and offences against humanity' Section 8) may be applied where an offence has been directed at a person belonging to a national, racial, ethnic or other population group due to his/her membership in such a group.

France
In France, it is illegal to display Nazi flags, uniforms and insignia in public, unless for the purpose of a historical film, show or spectacle.

In April 2000 the International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism and Union des étudiants juifs de France (the Union of French Jewish Students) brought a case against Yahoo! which objected to the auctioning of Nazi memorabilia, in France, via Yahoo!'s website on the basis that it contravened Article R645-1. Though a French judge did initially order Yahoo! to take measures to make it impossible for users in France to reach any Nazi memorabilia through the Yahoo! site, in December 2001 the US District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that Yahoo! would be shielded from the judgement of the French court.

Hungary
Section 269/B of Act IV of the Criminal Code of Hungary prohibits the use of "symbols of despotism", including the swastika and the SS sign.

Israel
The use of Nazi symbols is legal in Israel. Legislation regarding such symbols was initiated in early 2012 but no law was passed.

United States
The public display of Nazi flags in the U.S. is protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The U.S. State Department acknowledges restrictions imposed under the laws of other countries, however.