2012 Egypt football stadium violence: Court upholds death sentences

Cairo

An Egyptian court has upheld death sentences for 11 men accused in deadly football stadium violence in 2012 in Port Said.

The violence followed a match between the al-Ahly and al-Masry clubs in February of that year, and left 74 football fans dead.

The riots - Egypt's worst-ever football disaster - began after a top-league game at the stadium.

The violence sparked unrest in the capital, Cairo, where another 16 died.

The verdict came as part of a retrial of 73 defendants in the case, in which another 40 defendants were sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.

Other defendants were acquitted.

Several police officers were tried in the case.

None were among those who received death sentences, but Port Said's former security chief was sentenced to five years in prison.

Police were accused of letting fans from the local team al-Masry attack supporters of Cairo club al-Ahly, who had been vocal in supporting the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak.

Many of the dead were crushed when panicked fans tried to escape from the stadium after a post-match pitch invasion by al-Masry supporters.

During the violence, the then-President Mohammed Morsi declared a state of emergency in the city.