Unrest in Egypt Over Port Said Football Riot Sentences

Rival football fans in Egypt have protested over sentences handed down over riots at a match in Port Said in February last year.

Port Said 2012 Football Deaths

• 74 people killed in Port Said stadium on Feb 2, 2012
• Clashes broke out between rival fans of Port Said club al-Masry and Cairo's al-Ahly
• Fans flooded on to pitch, attacking Ahly players and fans as match ended
• Most died of concussion, cuts and suffocation
• The largest death toll in Egypt's football history

 

The court on Saturday March 9,2013 Upheld 21 Death Sentences and handed down prison terms to other defendants over the violence, which claimed 74 lives.

Confirming the capital punishment sentences, Judge Sobhi Abdel-Maguid specified "the death penalty by hanging".
In addition:

• Port Said governorate security chief Essam Eddin Samak and nine other defendants were each sentenced to 15 years in jail

• Six received 10-year jail terms and two were sent to prison for five years

• A single defendant got a 12-month jail term and 28 of the accused, including seven policemen, walked free

The court's verdicts, broadcast live on TV, were initially cheered by fans of Cairo's al-Ahly team, who are known as the Ultras.

Fans of local team al-Masri were already angry that all of those sentenced to death were supporters of the team.