Unknown authors placed a sign with a special warning at the Norwegian-Russian border. It reminds tourists who have had an urgent need or cheeky daredevils that it is forbidden to urinate on Russia – under the threat of a heavy fine, the AFP agency reported.
The table, written in English, is located on the banks of the river that separates Norway from Russia and suggests “Do not pee towards Russia”. Next door is an official sign informing that the section is being monitored by Norwegian border police.
“The sign was undoubtedly placed by people with good intentions to warn passers-by not to engage in abusive behavior,” said AFP Commissioner Jens-Arne Höilund, confirming previous information to the Barents Observer. The offense warned by the table can lead to a fine of up to NOK 3,000 (approximately CZK 7,400).
The corner sought after by tourists is located on the banks of the Jakobselva River, from where you can see only a few meters away Russia.
“Urinating in nature doesn’t have to be offensive, but it depends on the point of view. In that place, it’s subject to a law that prohibits offensive behavior at the border,” Höilund explained. Norwegian law explicitly prohibits “offensive behavior at the border towards a neighboring state or its authorities”. According to Höilund, whose duties include enforcing the agreements governing Norway’s neighborly relations with Russia, the Russian authorities have never complained about the behavior that the table warns against.
However, the Barents Observer recalled that Norwegian border guards detained four people a few years ago after throwing stones at Russia, and last winter a woman was fined 8,000 Norwegian kroner for crossing the border with her left hand – and was caught by cameras.
“You may think it’s strict, but we apply the rules consistently,” said Commissioner Höilund.
Norway guards the 197.7-kilometer northern border of the North Atlantic Alliance with Russia in the Arctic. The two countries have historically maintained good relations, but these have become more tense following the Russian annexation of the Ukrainian Crimean peninsula in the spring of 2014.
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