diff -r 2c12a1236fdc Lib/sre_parse.py
--- a/Lib/sre_parse.py	Thu Jan 24 13:44:18 2013 +0200
+++ b/Lib/sre_parse.py	Thu Jan 24 17:23:22 2013 +0200
@@ -224,21 +224,6 @@
     def seek(self, index):
         self.index, self.next = index
 
-def isident(char):
-    return "a" <= char <= "z" or "A" <= char <= "Z" or char == "_"
-
-def isdigit(char):
-    return "0" <= char <= "9"
-
-def isname(name):
-    # check that group name is a valid string
-    if not isident(name[0]):
-        return False
-    for char in name[1:]:
-        if not isident(char) and not isdigit(char):
-            return False
-    return True
-
 def _class_escape(source, escape):
     # handle escape code inside character class
     code = ESCAPES.get(escape)
@@ -582,7 +567,7 @@
                         group = 1
                         if not name:
                             raise error("missing group name")
-                        if not isname(name):
+                        if not name.isidentifier():
                             raise error("bad character in group name")
                     elif sourcematch("="):
                         # named backreference
@@ -596,7 +581,7 @@
                             name = name + char
                         if not name:
                             raise error("missing group name")
-                        if not isname(name):
+                        if not name.isidentifier():
                             raise error("bad character in group name")
                         gid = state.groupdict.get(name)
                         if gid is None:
@@ -650,7 +635,7 @@
                     group = 2
                     if not condname:
                         raise error("missing group name")
-                    if isname(condname):
+                    if condname.isidentifier():
                         condgroup = state.groupdict.get(condname)
                         if condgroup is None:
                             raise error("unknown group name")
@@ -787,7 +772,7 @@
                     if index < 0:
                         raise error("negative group number")
                 except ValueError:
-                    if not isname(name):
+                    if not name.isidentifier():
                         raise error("bad character in group name")
                     try:
                         index = pattern.groupindex[name]
diff -r 2c12a1236fdc Lib/test/test_re.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_re.py	Thu Jan 24 13:44:18 2013 +0200
+++ b/Lib/test/test_re.py	Thu Jan 24 17:23:22 2013 +0200
@@ -192,6 +192,16 @@
         self.assertRaises(re.error, re.sub, '(?P<a>x)|(?P<b>y)', '\\2', 'xx')
         self.assertRaises(re.error, re.sub, '(?P<a>x)', '\g<-1>', 'xx')
 
+    def test_unicode_symbolic_groups(self):
+        re.compile('(?P<µ>x)(?P=µ)(?(µ)y)')
+        re.compile('(?P<𝔘𝔫𝔦𝔠𝔬𝔡𝔢>x)(?P=𝔘𝔫𝔦𝔠𝔬𝔡𝔢)(?(𝔘𝔫𝔦𝔠𝔬𝔡𝔢)y)')
+        self.assertRaises(re.error, re.compile, '(?P<©>x)')
+
+    def test_unicode_symbolic_refs(self):
+        self.assertEqual(re.sub('(?P<µ>x)', r'\g<µ>', 'xx'), 'xx')
+        self.assertEqual(re.sub('(?P<𝔘𝔫𝔦𝔠𝔬𝔡𝔢>x)', r'\g<𝔘𝔫𝔦𝔠𝔬𝔡𝔢>', 'xx'), 'xx')
+        self.assertRaises(re.error, re.sub, '(?P<a>x)', r'\g<©>', 'xx')
+
     def test_re_subn(self):
         self.assertEqual(re.subn("(?i)b+", "x", "bbbb BBBB"), ('x x', 2))
         self.assertEqual(re.subn("b+", "x", "bbbb BBBB"), ('x BBBB', 1))