Resolve "Error 500 in non-UTF8 branch names"

What does this MR do?

Fix #37025 (closed) by forcing an UTF-8 encoding conversion of ref_names.

Are there points in the code the reviewer needs to double check?

Why was this MR needed?

Screenshots (if relevant)

Does this MR meet the acceptance criteria?

• Changelog entry added, if necessary
• Documentation created/updated
• API support added
• Tests added for this feature/bug
• Review
  • Has been reviewed by UX
  • Has been reviewed by Frontend
  • Has been reviewed by Backend
  • Has been reviewed by Database
• Conform by the merge request performance guides
• Conform by the style guides
• Squashed related commits together

What are the relevant issue numbers?

Closes #37025 (closed)