Russia’s Crowd Problem

Hint to players - don't get too close to the crowd.

Vast crowds of people will be a common phenomenon at the 2018 World Cup, but Russia is still having problems dealing with even the smallest of gatherings. So much, in fact, that it’s been jailing opposition leaders who have merely been gathering to exercise their lawful right to assemble.  

One of its more prominent opposition figures, Boris Nemtsov, yesterday filed an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights over his arrest on New Year’s Eve at an opposition rally, and the 15-day prison sentence he was slapped with. His attorney, Olga Mihkailova, said they’d filed the appeal with the ECHR because his appeal with the Moscow courts had still not been reviewed.

Opposition leaders Eduard Limonov, Konstantin Kosyakin and Ilya Yashin have received jail sentences of between five and 10 days after also demonstrating for the constitutional article that guarantees freedom of assembly.

Asked if he thought that football fans would be subject to arrest when assembling to watch games or drink beer at the 2018 World Cup, FIFA President Sepp Blatter advised them “to refrain from assembling activities” while at the tournament.