Egypt court sentences 11 to death over 2012 football riot

A defendant reacts behind bars in an Egyptian court on Sunday April 19, 2015 when the court imposed the death penalty on 11 men for involvement in deadly soccer stadium violence in 2012. Al Youm Al Saabi Newspaper/Reuters

CAIRO // An Egyptian court sentenced 11 football fans to death on Sunday after a retrial over a 2012 stadium riot in the canal city of Port Said that killed 74 people.

An appeals court had ordered the retrial of 73 defendants in February last year after rejecting a lower court verdict sentencing 21 people to death for being involved in the incident.

The riot erupted in February 2012 when fans of home team Al Masry and Cairo’s Al Ahly clashed after a match between the two clubs.

Sunday’s death sentences against 11 football fans have been referred to Egypt’s grand mufti and can be appealed.

The court will make a final decision on their fates, as well as those of the other defendants, on May 30.

The 73 defendants include nine police officers and three officials from Al Masry club, while the rest were fans of the two clubs.

None of the families of the victims or defendants attended Sunday’s court session. The court held its sessions in Cairo for security reasons.

The 2012 Port Said riots are the deadliest sport-related riots in Egypt, where fans regularly clash with one another or with security forces.

* Agence France-Presse