Lithuanian who gave Nazi salute against Nigeria fined

Nigeria’s basketball team D’Tigers lost the match against Lithuania but there is something to cheer up their fans outside the court. In another type of court it was full points for the pride of the country.

A Lithuanian man who gave a Nazi salute during the match between both countries has become the first person to be convicted of a racially aggravated offence at the Games and fined £2,500. He was told that his behaviour and that of other Lithuanian fans was “despicable”.

Petras Lescinskas, 36, an accountant from Lithuania, was arrested on Tuesday at the Olympic basketball arena during the Lithuania-Nigeria match. Stratford magistrates’ court was told that he and other Lithuanian supporters had been behaving in such a loud and aggressive manner that other spectators moved away from them. There were “monkey-style noises when Nigerian players had the ball”, the court heard.

Becky Owen, prosecuting, told the court. “He was seen to make a Nazi salute,” while placing his fingers across his lips. Lescinskas, a married man who had come to London for the Games, told police after his arrest that it was common practice in his country to celebrate in that way and it was something he has been doing for some time the court was told.