MOSCOW. March 7 (Interfax) - The authorities in Russia's Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk and Voronezh regions have opened criminal investigations after the local governors received threats allegedly linked to the current situation in Ukraine, Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said.
"The criminal cases were opened on the counts of "threats to use violence against a representative of the authorities or his family member in connection with the fulfillment of his professional duties" - Part 1 of Article 318 of the Russian Penal Code," Markin said.
"Over the past 24 hours, the governors of several Russian regions have received threats of violence against themselves and their family members in connection with the events in Ukraine," he said.
"In particular, the governor of the Voronezh region received an email from unknown persons acting on behalf of one of Ukraine's far-right organizations, who demanded that the governor "publicly condemn the Russian president's policies aimed at stabilizing the situation in Ukraine, immediately resign and proclaim the Voronezh region's intention to become a part of Ukraine or, if he refuses to do so, commit suicide," Markin said.
"They threatened to "liquidate" the governor if he refused to fulfill these demands," he said.
The governors of the Kursk, Bryansk and Belgorod regions, as well as other parts of Russia have received similar threats, Markin said.
"Despite the absurdity, ridiculousness and even the stupidity of such demands, we are taking the threats themselves quite seriously," he said.
"The Russian Investigative Committee will work as part of these criminal cases to identify those standing behind these threats and will bring them to justice in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation, certainly after verifying his sanity," he said.