Eastern EU states want ban on Soviet symbols

EU: European Parliament members from eastern Europe called for a ban on communist symbols such as the hammer and sickle yesterday if the European Union decides to outlaw Nazi symbols, such as the swastika.

MEPs from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania and Slovakia said any ban should also cover communist symbols, because of killings and torture suffered by people in the former Soviet Union or countries under Moscow's domination.

"If there is to be a pan-EU ban of the swastika . . . we would like to see symbols of the communist regime banned as well," Hungarian deputy Mr Jozef Szajer said.

The deputies wrote to EU Justice, Freedom and Security Commissioner Mr Franco Frattini to press their demand.

EU justice and interior ministers are to discuss a possible ban on Nazi symbols in the light of a recent scandal over Britain's Prince Harry wearing a swastika at a costume party, as part of proposed rules to ban racism and xenophobia across the 25-nation bloc.

Mr Frattini's spokesman said the commissioner did not think it would be appropriate to include Soviet-era symbols in that ban.

"In the context of discussions on fighting racism and xenophobia, including anti-Semitism, this may not be the most appropriate context for discussing a ban of Soviet symbols," Mr Friso Roscam Abbing said. - (Reuters)

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