This is a list providing an overview of whether states around the world criminalize the insult of the head of state or foreign heads of state, the state itself or its symbols.

For an explanation of the related concept of insulting the monarch or head of state, a crime in many countries, see Lèse-majesté.

Law by jurisdiction

CountryOf public officialsOf the head of stateOf the state and its symbolsOf foreign heads of state
AndorraYesYes[1]YesYes
AustriaNoNoYesNo
BelarusYesYesYesYes
BelgiumYesYesYesYes
Bosnia and HerzegovinaNoNoNoNo
BulgariaYesNoYesNo
CanadaNoNoNoNo
CroatiaNoYesYesYes
CyprusNoNoYesYes
Czech RepublicNoNoYesNo
DenmarkYesYes[2]NoNo
EstoniaYesNoYesNo
FinlandNoNoNoNo
FranceYesNoYesNo
GeorgiaNoNoNoNo
GermanyYesYesYesNo[3]
GreeceNoYesYesYes
HungaryNoNoYesNo
IcelandNoYesYesYes
IrelandNoNoNoNo
ItalyYesYesYesNo
KazakhstanYesYesYesNo
KyrgyzstanNoNoYesNo
LatviaNoNoYesNo
LiechtensteinNoNoYesNo
LithuaniaNoNoYesNo
LuxembourgYesNoYesNo
MaltaYesYesYesNo
MoldovaYesNoNoNo
MonacoYesYesYesNo
MongoliaYesNoNoNo
MontenegroNoNoYesNo
NetherlandsYesYesYesYes
NorwayYesNoNoNo
PolandYesYesYes[4]Yes
PortugalYesYesYesYes
RomaniaNoNoNoNo
RussiaYesNoYesNo
San MarinoYesYesYesYes
SerbiaNoNoYesNo
SlovakiaNoNoNoNo
SloveniaNoYesYesYes
SpainNoYesYesNo
SwedenNoYesNoYes
SwitzerlandNoNoNoYes
TajikistanYesYesNoNo
TurkeyYesYesYesYes
TurkmenistanYesYesYesNo
United KingdomNoNoNoNo[5]
UkraineNoNoYesNo
United StatesNoNoNoNo
Vatican CityNoYesYesNo

References

  1. (PDF) https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/EUR1236842021ENGLISH.pdf. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. "European countries where insulting the head of state can land you in prison". POLITICO. 2021-03-25. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
  3. Germany revokes lese majeste law
  4. Article 133: "Whoever insults the Nation or the Republic of Poland in public shall be subject to the penalty of the deprivation of liberty for up to 3 years."
  5. Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008

[1]

  1. https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/b/8/303181.pdf Mijatović, Dunja (2017), Defamation and Insult Laws in the OSCE Region, Organization for Cooperation and Security Europe, p. 5
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