A criminal case has been opened against the Femen activists who carried out a topless protest during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Hannover on Monday, writes Hannoversche Allgemeine newspaper.

According to the newspaper, five women participated in the action: two citizens of Germany, one Russian woman, and two Ukrainians.

A case under an article on insulting state agencies and representatives of the foreign states has been opened. The article foresees a maximum punishment of three years of imprisonment, and up to five years in the case of slander.

However, a Russian party did not ask Germany to punish Femen activists for their rally in Hannover, Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov told Interfax.

"Acts of hooliganism should be punished. But they are not our hooligans, and it is not up to us to punish them," Peskov said.

As reported, Putin and Merkel were visiting the Hanover Trade Fair on Monday when a topless woman tried to push her way through to the Russian president. Her back was painted with an obscene slogan directed against the Russian leader.

Several media outlets claimed later that the Russian authorities had asked Germany to impose penalties on the Femen protesters.