Foreign fans that misbehave during the World Cup can expect quick and costly punishment. Judicial officials have drawn up a list of fines to be used as guidelines - ranging from euro150 (US$192) for breaching the peace to euro1,200 (US$1,530) for bodily harm, a prosecutor said on Tuesday.
The fines will be used only for relatively minor offenses, and the fines could be set higher in some cases, Duesseldorf prosecutor Klaus Bronny said.
The intention is to deal with any foreign troublemakers without long-drawn-out legal proceedings.
Among other recommended fines on the list are a euro300 (US$383) payment for resisting police officers and euro800 (US$1,022) for incitement.
Using the symbols of banned organizations - an offence that covers displays of swastikas and other Nazi insignia - would bring a fine of euro600 (US$766).
For more serious offenses that involve a possible prison sentence of up to a year, authorities plan to speed up court proceedings, said Roswitha Mueller-Piepenkoetter, the justice minister of the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
"Hooligans should know that they cannot use the World Cup for violent disturbances without punishment," she said. The tournament runs from June 9 to July 9.
{{/usCountry}}"Hooligans should know that they cannot use the World Cup for violent disturbances without punishment," she said. The tournament runs from June 9 to July 9.
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