In Estonia, pro-kremlin residents have engaged in an organized act in recent days – to place stickers on their cars with inscriptions that say “I'm Russian” in Russian, “strength is in truth” or the symbolic Russian bear. Estonian police have imposed penalties in such cases and ordered stickers to be ripped off.
Similarly labeled cars have also been spotted by social network users in Latvia.
Attention has also been paid to this by the State Security Service (VDD), which stated in a written commentary to LTV that “it has recorded individual cases of stickers on vehicles with potentially provocative slogans that do not promote peaceful co-existence of people of different nationalities in Latvian society.”
“At the same time, the information at the disposal of the VDD does not indicate a targeted action organized in Latvia,” the Service said.
The State Police emphasized that although these articles do not directly praise Russia's invasion of Ukraine, they may constitute indirect support and praise of military aggression. So the police promise to act as decisively.
So far, however, no such car has been caught by Latvian police.
“We also asked yesterday for information to be provided to the person who posted the particular picture [on social media] to send the original picture with unredacted numberplates, but at the moment I do not have information that this was done,” Chief of the Chief order Police Board Andris Ellis told Reuters.
At the same time, police are urging residents to refrain from trying to tear off stickers themselves, damage vehicles or approach their drivers.
“Leave it to the police please, report such violations, we will respond,” Zellis said.
A natural person faces a fine of up to €350 for using symbols that glorify military aggression and war crimes in the public space. If a person does not comply with a police request to remove the inscription, then it is a failure to comply with a police officers' request, for which the fine can amount to €700.
