MOSCOW, February 19 (RAPSI) - Russian Prosecutor General's Office ordered the telecommunications regulator Roskomnadzor to shut down three extremist websites and their blog version, offical spokesman for the prosecutor's office Marina Gridneva told the press on Wednesday.

According to Gridneva, the websites distribute materials promoting terrorism and racial violence.

On February 1, Russia’s communication watchdog Roskomnadzor started blocking websites deemed to incite extremism without a prior court ruling. The decision to blacklist the website may be taken by the watchdog at the request of the Prosecutor General or his deputies, according to the recently passed amendments to aimed at toughening the consequences for the crimes of extremism and inciting hatred or enmity.

The descision to pull the plug on the websites were made two days ago, and since February 1 2014, the office filed more than a dozen similar motions which have been already carried out. Currently, there are more than 200 probes in websites distributing prohibited materials.

In 2013, more than 14,000 online resources have been blacklisted in the year that has passed since the activation of Roskomnadzor’s website blacklist.