An Egyptian court has upheld death sentences for 10 men for participating in the country’s worst violence at a football stadium, in which more than 70 fans were killed in February 2012.
Many of those who died were trampled on by panicked fans that were forcing their way out of the Port Said stadium after a post-match pitch invasion by supporters of the local side al-Masry. Witnesses were reported to have said that others fell or were thrown from the terraces.
The verdict from the Court of Cassation, which also upheld a lower court’s sentencing of 10 men to 15 years in jail, 14 men to 10 years, and 15 men to five years, is final and cannot be appealed. The charges included murder and attempted murder.
Among those who received a five-year sentence was the former Port Said police chief.
Football matches are often a flashpoint for violence in Egypt. The teams in the Port Said incident – al-Masry and Cairo’s al-Ahli – are longtime rivals. Witnesses said the rioting broke out after Cairo fans unfurled banners insulting the local team, which had won the match 3-1.
