ODESA, AUGUST 5th, 2013, CONTEXT-PRICHERNOMORIE — The Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russian Federation Aleksandr Bastrykin has launched a criminal probe into flag desecration after a US rock musician stuffed a Russian flag down his trousers at a concert, Context-Prichernomorie correspondent reports.

The press centre of Investigative Committee of Russian Federation reported today, 5 August.

According to the information, the band Bloodhound Gang scandalized Russia when a video was released showing its bassist Jared Hasselhoff stuffing the white-blue-and-red tricolour down his trousers and then throwing it into the crowd at a concert last Wednesday in Odessa.

Russia's Investigative Committee, a powerful agency that is an equivalent of the US FBI, said in a statement earlier Monday that it was examining the incident.

It condemned “the cynicism of the said crime, which expressed clear disrespect for the Russian state.”

“The investigation will evaluate everyone connected with this crime, from the actual perpetrators to its organizers,” the Investigative Committee said, adding that it would ask for help with its inquiries from the United States and Ukraine.

Ukraine on Monday launched a separate probe into Hasselhoff urinating on a Ukrainian flag on stage in Kyiv on July 30. In Ukraine, flag desecration is punishable by up to three years in jail.