An Egyptian court has on Saturday handed down death sentences to 21 people accused of having involved in a deadly post-football match riot at Port Said stadium in February last year.
In the world’s deadliest football riot a total of 73 people including police men and fans were charged with premeditated murder or negligence last year.
The riot stormed between Cairo’s Al-Ahly fans and Port Said’s Al-Masry fans following a Premier League match, killed 74.
21 accused in the soccer violence that sentenced Saturday to death were Egyptian Al-Masry football fans and club members, reports said.
The verdict came in surprising move as sentence has pronounced for 21, while the court said that the verdict for the remaining 52 defendants would be announced on March 9.
There were no policemen among those sentenced on Saturday.
The verdict rocked another fresh violence in Egypt after unrest on the second anniversary of the uprising that topped Hosni Mubarak.
The victims’ families and rival team supporters welcomed the verdicts, while defendants protested, clashed with police.
Around 16 people including 2 policemen, reported died in Cairo following Port Said’s defendants clashed with police and 200 were injured, source said.
