Simferopol, March 11 (RAPSI) – The Crimean parliament banned on Tuesday nationalist party Svoboda (Liberty) and ultra-nationalist political movement Right Sector, whose members played an active role in the Kiev riots that uprooted Ukraine’s president, according to an official statement.

The decision was made based on concerns that Svoboda and Right Sector may pose a threat to local residents. Authorities do their best to prevent extremists from infiltrating the territory of Crimea, according to the statement. Security services were ordered to detect and bring to justice those who may inflict hatred and be involved in inciting violence.

In the meantime, Russian telecom regulator, Roskomnadzor, restricted access to 13 groups within Russia's largest social network Vkontakte. According to the Prosecutor General's Office, these groups promoted the Ukrainian nationalist cells, and called for terrorist activities on Russian territory.

Russian investigators placed the leader of Right Sector Dmitry Yarosh on an international wanted list. He was charged in absentia with the public endorsement of terrorist and extremist activities. Yarosh may face up to 7 years in prison if convicted in Russia.

Crimea, a peninsula of some 2 million people, has resisted the authority of the leadership that came to power last month after the ouster of Viktor Yanukovich, which followed months of mostly peaceful protests in Kiev.  Russian President Vladimir Putin this week described the current Ukrainian government as illegitimate, in effect bolstering the Crimean government’s position.