Egypt: 10 death sentences confirmed for riots in a stadium in Port Said

The Egyptian court confirmed on Monday the Death Sentences of 10 supporters five years after the deadly riots that had claimed 74 lives in a football stadium in Port Said. The Egyptian Court of Cassation confirmed the death sentence of ten men who caused a scuffle at a stadium in Port Said, where 74 supporters were killed in February 2012.

The riots that shook the city after a match won by the local team, Al-Masry, against the Cairo stars of Al-Ahly, were the most murderous that Egypt in the margin Of football matches.

Most of the victims, almost all Al-Ahly supporters, were dead crushed by other spectators fleeing the invasion of the lawn by supporters of Al-Masri. According to testimony gathered at the time, others had fallen or were pushed from the stands.

Final verdict

The sentences confirmed on Monday were initially pronounced in June 2015. The verdict pronounced by the Court of Cassation is this time final and the convicts who are behind the bars have exhausted all their appeals, said, judicial officials. The date of execution has not yet been fixed.

Revolt against Hosni Mubarak

In addition to the 10 death sentences, some 30 other men accused of having participated in the violence in a political context tense, one year after the uprising against former President Hosni Mubarak, have also seen their sentences of five To fifteen years' imprisonment confirmed in the Court of Cassation.

Among them is the former chief of police in Port Said, who was sentenced to five years in prison. The police were accused by their detractors of not knowingly intervening during the clashes between supporters, to take revenge for the participation of the "ultras" football youths in the 2011 revolt against Hosni Mubarak: an uprising also carried out in protest against the Abuse of the security forces.

Recurrent Violence

Violence in and out of stadiums is recurrent in Egypt. In February 2015, 22 supporters died crushed and smothered by tear gas after attempting to enter a compound in Cairo whose access was blocked by the riot police. The "ultras" groups, very involved in the clashes with the security forces during and after the 2011 uprising, were banned in May 2015.