Riigikogu member Jaak Valge went to court to annul the fine imposed on him for displaying the flag of the Estonian SSR, and on Thursday the court granted his claim, reports Elu24.
On July 22 of last year, Riigikogu member Jaak Valge and writer Andres Aule displayed the flag of the Estonian SSR on the wall of the Writers' House, next to the bas-relief of Johan Smuul. Soon after, the police were called to the scene. As a penalty, Valge was fined 400 euros.
Valge contested this decision in court.
The police considered the action a violation of public order, while Valge argued that it was merely an artistic performance in a public space.
On Thursday, the court ruled to overturn the misdemeanor ruling against Valge. Additionally, the state is required to reimburse the legal costs of Valge's defender, Henno Nurmsalu, amounting to 2,220 euros.
The court concluded that not every violation of public order should entail liability, and in this case, displaying the flag of the Estonian SSR in a public place did not cause such concern among citizens as to constitute a misdemeanor.
The county court's decision can be appealed.
In 2023, Valge and Aule conducted a similar action by displaying the flag of the Estonian SSR on a building at Harju Street, 1. At that time, the police also fined the participants, but the court subsequently overturned the fine, establishing the absence of a misdemeanor in their actions.
