By Andrew Warshaw
March 16 – Egyptian authorities have reacted to the Port Said massacre by charging 75 people – including nine policemen – with murder and/or negligence.
Seventy-four fans died after bloody clashes that followed last month’s high-tension league fixture between Al-Masry and Al-Ahly.
The league season has been cancelled and the Egyptain Football Association disbanded in the wake of the country’s worst such sports disaster.
After Al-Masry had upset their greatest rivals 3-1, a pitch battle ensued.
Police and security officials were accused of being negligent and even in cahoots with the rioters.
Among those charged is Major General Issam Samak, who was Port Said’s chief of security, and three Al-Masry club officials.
“The accused were sent to a criminal court on charges of committing the crime of intentional and premeditated murder,” the office of Prosecutor General Abdul Majuid Mahmoud said in a statement.
Ahly Ultras (pictured below) marched on the same day to Mahmoud’s office demanding justice and accusing the police and the ruling military council of conspiring to kill the fans.
The civilian defendants were charged with premeditated murder, while the accused police officers are charged with aiding the attackers, prosecution spokesman Justice Adel El-Saied was quoted as saying.
Despite the mass charges, an air of suspicion remains.
“This is done to silence us and calm us down and then all of the defendants will be acquitted,” the mother of one victim said.
“We do not care about arresting those police officers, we want to know the ones higher than them; we want to execute the Military Council for this.”
Al-Ahly Ultras member Mohamed Adel went even further, calling for those responsible to be executed.
“We will not stop protesting until those arrested are executed for their conspiracy against us, a big sit-in will be our last resort to pressure authorities,” he told local Egyptian media.
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