Eleven people were sentenced for what can be called the biggest violence in the history of Egytian football. The incident saw 74 people killed and over 1000 got severely injured.
The incident took place back in 2012 in Port Said stadium when the rival fans invaded the pitch after the match was completed and started throwing stones, flares and bottles.
Players also ran for their lives down the tunnel as the match between Egypt’s top team al-Ahly and bitter rivals al-Masry turned into a bloody battle zone. Many of the dead were crushed by the panicked fans while others fell from terraces as they tried to escape.
The court session telecasted live in the country as it sentenced one of the men to death in absentia. Ten men got 15 years in jail, 14 were sentenced to 10 years, and 15 men received a five-year sentence. The charges included murder and attempted murder. Twenty-one people were found innocent. The verdicts can be appealed.
Football in Egypt are often a flash point of violence as it involved two of the bitter rival teams al-Ahly and al-Masry. The incident took place as Cairo fans displayed banners which insulted the home team and their fans said the eye witnesses.