MARSEILLE — Twenty Russians including a far-right agitator were to be thrown out of France Thursday as the city of Lens went into lockdown ahead of England’s next Euro 2016 match.
Amid diplomatic tensions over the case, three Russian supporters will also be tried in Marseille, the first from their country to face justice for their role in violence around the England-Russia match in the city Saturday.
French police swooped on a group of 43 Russian fans in southern France Tuesday and carried out identity checks as part of the investigation into the football violence.
Far-right figure Alexander Shprygin, who heads a Russian football supporters’ association, is among the 20 fans from the detained group who will be expelled from France.
The other 20 supporters in the group will be freed.
The arrest of the Russians turned into a diplomatic incident Wednesday when Moscow summoned France’s ambassador in protest.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described the arrests as “absolutely unacceptable.”
Thousands of riot police were on high alert in Lens, the industrial northern city where up to 50,000 supporters gathered as England faced Wales.
Security forces watched English fans closely after 36 people were arrested Wednesday in nearby Lille where riot police carrying shields fired teargas in a standoff with rival fans.
Russia to blacklist hooligans
Russia will blacklist Russian and foreign soccer hooligans ahead of the 2018 World Cup which it is hosting, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said Thursday, the TASS news agency reported.
“There must be blacklists. Those breaking the law must be barred from entry into the country and from attending matches,” Dvorkovich was cited as saying. “This refers to both our fans ... and foreign ones.”
