10-year prison term for one, five acquitted in a Port Said Stadium massacre retrial

Port Said Criminal Court sentenced Sunday one defendant to a 10 years in prison and acquitted five others in the retrial of seven defendants in the 2012 Port Said Stadium massacre case.

Seventy-three defendants, including nine police officers, were charged in the killing of 74 Ahly Football Club fans during a game in Port Said city in February 2012 between Ahly and Masry.

The court upheld a death sentence for another defendant after he failed to show up in court.

The retrial was ordered after the seven defendants sentenced in absentia to death turned themselves in to authorities.

In June 2015, the defendants received death sentences in absentia following the Grand Mufti’s non-binding consultation. Another 10 defendants received 15-year sentences, 15 received 10-year sentences, and 15 others received five-year sentences. One defendant received a one-year sentence. Twenty-one defendants were acquitted.

Former head of Port Said Security Directorate, Essam Samak, and former head of the Maritime Police in the coastal city, Mohamed Saad, were among the 15 defendants who received five-year sentences.

The defendants were found guilty in June 2015 on charges of premeditated murder and attempted murder of Ahly fans, thuggery, vandalism, theft and show of force.

source:Ahram Online