Probably sort of a really weird question (Usually I think I ask sensible ones)

Is it illegal to burn the flag of OTHER countries in any countries?

(For example if one were to burn the Russian Flag in the US would this
be Criminal or illegal activity?)

Yours Truly 
Mongolia

Dear mongolia-ga;

I think it?s a good question; and you?re not the only one who?s ever
wondered about it either:

Our right to burn a flag is not centered on the flag itself or even to
whom the flag belongs, but our right to make a statement (freedom of
speech) without being regulated by the government. In the United
States, flag burning (regardless of what country the flag represents)
is protected by the first amendment of the Constitution, which says in
part:

?Congress shall make no law abridging freedom of speech.?

Our first amendment freedom of speech is protected no matter what
nation?s flag is involved.

These articles may be of interest to you. I?ve included some relevant
excerpts for your convenience so you will get the gist of what is
being said:

?In 1989, the U.S. Supreme Court decided in favor of the rights of
Gregory Johnson, who had been convicted of violating a Texas law by
burning a U.S. Flag. In response to this and a similar 1990 Supreme
Court decision, the U.S. Congress attempted to pass an amendment to
the U.S. Constitution, granting the states the right to pass such
laws, regardless of the previous decisions of the Supreme Court.

 The Supreme Court, you see, considers burning the American Flag an
act which is protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.?
A BRIEF HISTORY OF FLAG BURNING
http://www.esquilax.com/flag/history.html

?Domestically, desecrating the flag is an act of protected speech
under the First Amendment to the Constitution, according to the
Supreme Court's ruling in the 1989 flag burning case, Texas v.
Johnson. Though prohibitions on public fires in general are
permissible, for example, laws that discriminate on the expressive
content of the act of flag burning are not.?
BAMBOOWEB
http://www.bambooweb.com/articles/f/l/Flag_burning.html

?A federal law prohibiting flag "desecration" was invalidated in
United States v. Eichman, under the same reasoning (and the same
voting divisions among the justices) as Texas v. Johnson.?
BAMBOOWEB
http://www.bambooweb.com/articles/f/l/Flag_burning.html

I hope you find that my research exceeds your expectations. If you
have any questions about my research please post a clarification
request prior to rating the answer. Otherwise, I welcome your rating
and your final comments and I look forward to working with you again
in the near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.

Best regards;
Tutuzdad ? Google Answers Researcher


OTHER INFORMATION SOURCES

A BRIEF HISTORY OF FLAG BURNING
http://www.esquilax.com/flag/history.html

United States v. Eichman, 496 U.S. 310 (1990)
http://www.bambooweb.com/articles/u/n/United_States_v._Eichman.html

Texas v Johnson
http://www.bambooweb.com/articles/t/e/Texas_v._Johnson.html

1989 Flag Protection Act
http://www.esquilax.com/flag/protection.html



SEARCH STRATEGY


SEARCH ENGINES USED:

Google ://www.google.com




SEARCH TERMS USED:

Flag

Protection

Law

Desecration

Foreign

Many thanks for the update. Your answer has actually corrected a
strong misconception I had , where I had assumed it was simply  a
criminal act to burn the Stars and Stripes (in the US). It looks like
the US law in this matter is far more liberal than many European
countries.

I also find it VERY INTERESTING (site supplied by both PinkFreud and Secret901
that it is an offense in Norway and Japan to burn a foreign flag but
ok to burn their own flags)  .
Mongolia

In Japan and Norway. (http://norwell.dailykos.com/story/2005/6/23/55257/5021)