Russia threatens Swiss newspaper with legal action for publishing image of Putin with a clown nose

Russian officials threatened a Swiss newspaper with legal action after it published an image of Putin as a clown.

The piece " Between Superheroes and Villains: The Power of Memes in the Ukranian War" was published in the newspaper. It talked about how images from the internet played a part in the discussion.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy was depicted as Iron Man next to Putin with a clown nose.

The newspaper's intent was to show the type of imagery used, not to argue that the newspaper thinks Putin is a clown.

Russia's embassy in Switzerland wrote a letter to the newspaper's editor expressing its outrage over the image.

The letter argued that freedom of speech was not an excuse to insult people.

The rainbow colors on Putin's face were offensive.

It objected to the depiction of Putin as a war criminal, which is a common charge among Ukrainians.

The officials have the right to apply to the Swiss law enforcement agencies to take action over the image.