France expels Russian soccer fan leader Shprygin for second time
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 22 June 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, France expels Russian soccer fan leader Shprygin for second time, 22 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57a43bfb22.html [accessed 22 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
June 22, 2016
Russian soccer fan leader Aleksandr Shprygin was deported from France for a second time following violence at the Euro 2016 games.
France deported Russian soccer fan leader Aleksandr Shprygin for the second time in less than a week over violence that marred the start of the Euro 2016 tournament, French authorities said on June 22.
Police re-arrested Shprygin on June 20 in the southwestern city of Toulouse, where the Russian team was playing Wales. He had previously been deported on June 18 following violence at an England-Russia match in Marseille, but he sneaked back into France.
This time, French authorities said they put Shprygin on a plane at the Paris airport headed for Moscow.
Fan violence prompted European soccer's governing body UEFA to threaten England and Russia with expulsion from the championship. Russia was eventually eliminated from the tournament after losing to Wales.
Disturbances have largely subsided in recent days, but police used tear gas, pepper spray, and batons to break up fights between Polish soccer fans in Marseille on June 21, detaining at least 12 of them.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
