Egyptian court confirms death sentences for 21 soccer fans
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An Egyptian man reacts to the court verdict over the deadly 2012 football riot, in the Suez Canal city of Port Said on March 9, 2013. The Egyptian court has confirmed death sentences handed down against 21 people for their role in the deadly 2012 football riot that killed more than 70 people in the city of Port Said. -- PHOTO: AFP
CAIRO (AP) - An Egyptian court has confirmed death sentences handed down against 21 people for their role in a deadly 2012 soccer riot that killed more than 70 people in the city of Port Said.
The court on Saturday also sentenced the city's former security chief, Maj. Gen. Essam Samak, to 15 years in prison.
The 21 death sentences were passed on Jan 28. Most of those condemned to death are fans of Port Said's Al-Masry club. The announcement led to protests in the city that some 40 people dead, most of them shot by police.
The Feb 2012 riot, Egypt's worst soccer disaster, followed a league game between Al-Masry and Cairo's Al-Ahly, with Port Said supporters setting upon the visiting fans after the final whistle.
