Port Said Criminal Court has sentenced 11 convicts to death, 39 to verdicts ranging from one to 15 years in prison, and dropped all charges on 24 others, in the case publicly known as "Port Said Stadium Massacre," on Tuesday, Al Bawaba News reported. The convicts faced 74 murder charges for killing Al Ahly sports club fans during a football match in February, 2012. The defendants, including 9 police officials of the Port Said security directorate, 3 officials of Al Masry club, had already received death sentences, life in prison and 15-year prison terms before appealing the verdicts. The court dropped all charges on 7 policemen. In January 2013, the court sentenced 21 defendants to death and others to varying prison terms. In February 2014, the cassation court ordered a retrial for 62 of the defendants. The prosecution accused the Port Said security directorate top chiefs of closing the Stadium gates to facilitate the killing of Ultras Ahlawy (Official League of Al Ahly Club Fans), causing the death of 74 fans. Experts affirmed that the convicted can appeal against the verdicts before the court of cassation, whilst the prosecution can appeal against the innocence verdicts of the 24 defendants.
