ZAGREB, January 23, 2018 – Five Croatian nationals who took part in a massive fan brawl during a football match between Partizan and Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade last month took a plea bargain with the prosecution on Tuesday, accepting prison sentences ranging from four to six months, the media in Belgrade reported.
Negotiations are under way with six other participants in the fight regarding their plea bargain, the Belgrade-based Blic news portal.
All the defendants will serve their prison terms in Serbia. After they finish serving their sentences, each of them will be given a five-year entry ban to Serbia.
“This is the fastest and cheapest way to end this criminal procedure,” attorney Đorđe Kalanj, who represents three of the six defendants, told Blic.
A total of 26 persons were arrested after violence erupted between Partizan and Crvena Zvezda fans on 13 December, including six Croatian nationals.
At least 20 people were injured in the mass fight that broke out on the southern stands of the Partizan stadium during the first half of the game, after which a group of fans was escorted out of the stadium under tight police security.
According to media reports, the fight was a conflict between factions of Partizan fans.
The Belgrade press said the Croatian nationals were from Split and had been paid to take part in the rioting.
