Authorities in the east Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk are for the first time applying a 2014 law against the "revival of Nazism" after swastikas appeared on a local World War II memorial, the regional branch of the Investigative Committee said Wednesday.
The swastikas and other "extremist content" were found spray-painted on several statues in the city's Alley of Glory on Jan. 9, the committee said in a statement, adding that the suspects have yet to be identified and an investigation — including "linguistic analysis" — is being conducted.
The law against the revival of Nazism, which was approved by the federal parliament last April, stipulates up to two years in prison and a fine of 300,000 rubles ($4,600), which is reportedly more than three-fourths of last year's average annual salary in the Krasnoyarsk region.
