February 2017 – footballuprising

Cassation Court upholds final death sentences in Port Said stadium massacre case

Von Adham Youssef

The court approved the death sentences of 10 defendants

The Egyptian Cassation Court upheld on Monday death sentences that had previously been handed to 10 defendants in the Port Said stadium massacre case of 2012, which lead to the death of 74 football fans.

Monday’s verdict is final. The court also upheld prison sentences for some of the defendants while changing the sentences of others.

Previously, the defendant’s lawyers had argued that their clients did not commit the actions intentionally, while also claiming that the investigation process was flawed and that the court ignored documents.

There are 73 defendants in total in the case, who previously underwent an initial trial and later a retrial. The first sentence was delivered in January 2013, when 21 defendants were sentenced to death. The second verdict came in March 2013, when the 21 death sentences were ratified, with five receiving life sentences, ten handed 15-year sentences, two receiving five years, and one man receiving a one-year sentence. Subsequent appeals have brought the cases in front of the Cassation Court.

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Romania protests grow over corruption decree

The Romanian capital, Bucharest, has seen one of its largest ever anti-government protests after a decree was passed that could free dozens of officials jailed for corruption.

A crowd of at least 150,000 was reported outside government offices late on Wednesday and rallies took place in other towns and cities.

As the protesters dispersed, a group of football supporters threw firecrackers at police who responded with tear gas.

The decree was passed late on Tuesday.

The leftist government, led by Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), only returned to power in December after protests forced its last leader from power in October 2015.

The new government says the decree is needed to ease overcrowding in prisons but Mr Grindeanu’s critics say he is trying to release allies convicted of corruption.

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Egypt arrests 37 football fans

Some 37 football fans were taken into custody overnight in Cairo after 80 fans were arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of staging a protest on the fifth anniversary of the deadly 2012 riot.

In 2012, 73 football fans were killed when riots broke out between rival football clubs in the city of Port Said spelling out Egypt’s worst soccer disaster. Most of those killed were fans of the Al-Ahly football club.

Speaking to news site Mada Masr, attorney Mokhtar Mounir said authorities did not explain why the fans were taken into custody.

The banned group of Al-Ahly fans, known as Ultras Ahlawy, had initially planned to commemorate the anniversary of the stadium massacre but cancelled their plans after some members were arrested ahead of the anniversary.

“We have been subjected to direct threats over the last few days warning us not to be present at Al-Ahly Club on the anniversary, and told that whoever shows up will likely face the same fate as the Al-Ahly martyrs. They began by arresting members from their homes,” the club’s statement said.

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