Russians could be deported: French PM
AAP on June 14, 2016, 8:16 pm
French officials, acting on calls by prime minister Manuel Valls, are trying to deport almost 50 Russian football fans from the country, as a result of violence at Russia's Euro 2016 opener with England.
So far, French riot police have stopped a bus in Cannes carrying Russian football fans who were on their way to Lille.
Alexander Shprygin, the head of a Russian supporters' group, spoke out against the actions of the riot police.
"They want to deport almost 50 people including women who did not take part in anything," Shprygin, president of the Russian Supporters' Union, told Reuters by phone.
"The police are making up for their mistakes three days ago. We are in a bus in Cannes and we have been blocked in by riot police. We are not going anywhere for the time being."
He later said the Russian consul had arrived on the scene, preventing what he said was a planned storming of the bus by police.
There was no immediate comment from French authorities, who have said about 150 hard-core Russian fans took part in serious violence after Saturday's clashes around the England-Russia game in Marseille at the Euro16 championship.
Earlier, Marseille's chief prosecutor said Russian hooligans - prepared for "ultra-rapid, ultra-violent action" - were involved in the worst of the fighting that hit the city at the start of the tournament.
An Englishman in his 50s remains in a critical condition in hospital after being assaulted, one of 35 people injured during three days of fighting involving Russian, English and French fans in Marseille.
European soccer's governing body UEFA said it was disgusted by melees inside and outside the stadium in Marseille - where the English and Russian sides played on Saturday - and threatened to expel both teams from the championship if the violence persisted.
England fans have said they were ambushed by squads of Russian assailants in at least one incident, though the Marseille prosecutor made clear that England supporters were responsible for some of the skirmishes in the city.
On Monday, five England fans were sentenced to jail terms of between one and three months in a French court, while a Frenchman received a two-year term.
"I'm truly sorry. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I'm no hooligan," English cook Alexander Booth, 20, told the judge before his two-month sentence was read out.
After the weekend clashes, some Russians posted photos of themselves on social media holding stolen English supporters' flags upside down - some spotted with blood - as trophies.
