The Cairo Cassation Court refused Monday the appeal against handing the death sentence to 11 of the accused in what is known as “the Port Said Massacre”, which left 74 football fans dead.
The court also sentenced 10 defendants to 15 years in maximum security prison. One of the defendants, Port Said’s former security director and the chairman of Port Said’s Masry club, had been previously acquitted.
The massacre dates back to 2012, when during a football match at Port Said Stadium between Al-Ahly and Al-Masry Sporting Clubs, the fans of the latter Sporting Club attacked Al-Ahly fans, with no intervention from the security personnel.
Following the latest court decision, the mothers of those killed walked around the streets and cheered from above Kasr Al-Nile Bridge in celebration.
The ruling came the same month as the anniversary of the incident. Earlier in February, Al-Ahly Sporting Club fans, Ultras Ahlawy, canceled a gathering to mark the fifth anniversary of the 2012 Port Said Massacre as they claimed in a statement that they received threats from Interior Ministry.
In matches prior to the one in question, Ultras Ahlawy had chanted against Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which took charge of Egypt after the toppling of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
Comments (2)
[…] The ban of fans is due to a number of incidents; the impressive time-span of the ban is owing to the severity of the events that caused the brash removal of fans from stadiums. In February of 2012, the ban was put in place after a catastrophic riot resulted in the death of 72 Al-Ahly fans in the Port Said stadium. […]
[…] calls of rights organization have been renewed after the court of appeals upheld last week death penalties against 11 defendants. The defendants were sentenced to death for […]