Russia’s Premier League intends to ban the use of laser pointers by fans at football stadiums, the league’s security chief said on Monday.
“We are very serious about this,” Alexander Meitin said, adding that the ban would come in the form of a federal law.
“The issue is that this problem can only be resolved with the adoption of legal acts, since laser pointers are not prohibited for civilian use and there are no laws concerning this issue,” he said.
During Saturday’s match between Spartak and Dynamo Moscow, fans used laser pointers to try to blind the goalkeepers of both clubs.
He said the league will instruct staff at all stadiums to confiscate laser pointers before matches.
Laser pointers are banned in Russia’s North Caucasus republic of Chechnya. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov outlawed them after attempts were made to blind pilots of passenger jets.
