Sentences anger rival fans in Egypt

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 09 Maret 2013 | 19.21

9 March 2013 Last updated at 07:16 ET

Rival football fans in Egypt have been protesting angrily over sentences handed down over deadly riots at a match in Port Said in February 2012.

The court upheld 21 death sentences and handed down prison terms to other defendants over the violence, which claimed 74 lives.

Most victims were supporters of a Cairo team, and fans there criticised the sentencing for not going far enough.

In Port Said, fans of the local team accused the court of unfairness.

Many people believe police in the city stood by during the rioting in revenge for the role of football supporters in the unrest which toppled Hosni Mubarak as president a year before. Police deny the accusation.

Ahead of Saturday's sentencing, the army assumed policing in Port Said, which saw new, deadly unrest last week.

Police in at least 10 of Egypt's 29 provinces have been holding an unprecedented strike in protest at being used by the government of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi to confront protesters.

'Club stormed'

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

Continue reading the main story
  • 74 people killed in Port Said stadium on 2 February 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

In addition:

  • Port Said stadium 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.

"First we were happy when we heard the 21 death sentences," one fan told AFP news agency.

"We were cheering and didn't hear the rest of the verdict. Then we were very angry."

As fans surged through the streets to attend a rally at their stadium, a police club and the Egyptian football federation building were set alight.

Both buildings are close to the team's stadium and a senior security official was quoted as saying by AFP news agency that some fans had stormed the club and torched it.

It was not immediately clear if the football federation building was also attacked by fans.

Canal protest

In Port Said, fans of local team al-Masri were already angry that all of those sentenced to death were supporters of the team.

Two senior police officers were jailed but seven other security officials were acquitted, fuelling local resentment.

Some demonstrators tried to block the Suez Canal by untying speedboats and setting them adrift while others sought to interrupt car ferry traffic.

Military police recovered five of the speedboats and brought them back to shore, but two were still drifting, one witness told Reuters news agency.

However, the canal was protected by troops backed by tanks, and military helicopters hovered above the crowd.

Before Saturday, the canal, a global shipping route, was considered off-limits by protesters, correspondents say.

At least seven people - civilians and security officials - died earlier this week in unrest in the city.

The original death sentences imposed on the 21 defendants in January sparked a local revolt.

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