An administrative court dropped Monday the case against Ultras football fan groups that demanded their designation as a terrorist group. The Zamalek football club's controversial president, Mortada Mansour, dropped the case against the Ultras groups, including the club's hardcore fan group known as Ultras White Nights (UWK). In May, a different court banned Ultras football fan groups and ordered that they be dissolved. The lawsuit was also filed by the Zamalek SC chairman who called for banning the activities of ultras groups and listing them as terrorist groups. The lawsuit also accused the groups of storming the Egyptian Football Association, the headquarters of Al-Ahly football club, and the state security building, as well as plotting to assassinate former sports minster Al-Amry Farouk. According to Law 8/2015 regarding "terrorist entities", cases must be looked into before criminal courts. Complaints regarding an alleged terrorist entity must come from the Prosecutor General's office to one of the specified courts, and not a lawsuit filed by an independent lawyer to court, such as in the Ultras case. The law identified "terrorist entities" as those that aim to disrupt and endanger public safety and national security, and a list of similar broad definitions. Members of the group have become a target for police authorities and state security, with arrests, detentions and interrogations taking place on "terrorist charges". Tensions between the hardcore fan group and Mansour increased notably since the summer of 2014.
