MOSCOW, July 24. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media demands that website risovach.ru remove an insulting image of the Russian flag, the watchdog’s press service reported on Wednesday.
"On July 24, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media received a demand from the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office on the restriction of access to a picture on the entertainment website risovach.ru. The image contains an obscene description of the Russian flag and an affront to Russian citizens," the report says. "A notification was sent to the website’s administration on the inclusion of the web page in the Common Register of Banned Information. The portal has to remove the picture which insults the state symbols and the people of Russia."
Social media Facebook earlier removed an image with Nazi symbols upon the watchdog’s demand. YouTube also fulfilled the watchdog’s demand in view of the law on the offense of state symbols. Some video clips were blocked because they insulted Russia’s coat of arms, the watchdog’s press service reported.
The law on the offense of state symbols and state institutions determines the order of restricting access to information which insults human dignity and public morality and expresses "open disrespect for the society, state, official state symbols of the Russian Federation, Constitution of the Russian Federation or bodies that execute state power in the Russian Federation."
A fine for the dissemination of such materials may stand at 30,000 ($475) to 100,000 ($1,580) rubles. In case of a repeated violation sanctions will amount to 100,000 ($1,580) - 200,000 ($3,170) rubles, and in case of a third publication they will stand at 200,000 ($3,170) to 300,000 ($4,750) rubles. In the last two cases punishment in the form of up to 15 days of administrative arrest is stipulated.