CAIRO: Everyone who headed to Hurghada to hear the final verdict in the Al-Salam 98 ferry case was quite pessimistic, but the cries of joy were quickly heard when the court revoked the July sentence and convicted the people in charge of one of the deadliest maritime disasters. The owner of the ferry, Mamdouh Ismail, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to seven years in prison. Two company officials were convicted of negligence and sentenced in absentia to three years in prison. Al-Salam 98 sank in the Red Sea in February 2006 claiming the lives of 1,023 passengers. When the verdict was announced, the courtroom was transformed into a dance floor as the victims' families and their supporters celebrated the end of what they described as "three years of fuming flames. Chants filled the room praising the judge's decision and calling upon the justice system to save the country from unrighteousness. The families formed a circle hand in hand with members of Kefaya and the April 6 movements, while an elder lady danced in the center, chanting victoriously. Nadia Saad, who lost her husband and her four kids in the tragedy, squatted on the pavement across the courtroom, holding her family's pictures in her hand before the trail began Wednesday morning. She left with a bittersweet smile on her face. "Our lives stopped. We felt bitter for losing our family and bitter for injustice, said Saad, adding that the other families felt the same way. Some of the families, who had previously refused to hold funerals for their loved ones, will receive condolences today at the Journalists' Syndicate. Anas Ammar, member of the defense team, said that there will also be an awards ceremony honoring those who supported the victims' families. During Wednesday's trial, only one out of the four convicts was present behind bars, Salah El-Din Gomaa, captain of the Saint Catherine ferry, which drove past the sinking Al-Salam ferry without providing assistance. He was sentenced to six months in prison. The three remaining convicts were pronounced guilty for breaking international conventions as well as Laws 248 and 244 as outlined in the penal code. "Thank god that justice has taken its course and Mamdouh Ismail and his accomplices are convicted. But this is not the end; we are now accusing him of two other charges: fraud and negligence, said Tarek Sherif El-Din, who lost his entire family in the sunken ferry. Hamdy Darwish, who lost his wife and three children in the incident, said he wasn't satisfied with the conviction and saw it as an attempt to rectify the previous ruling. After this new ruling, he said, they will coordinate next steps with their lawyers. Many are considering involving NGOs and rights groups in the proceedings because they do not trust the government handling of the case. - Additional reporting by Yehia Darwish
