Media minibus is set on fire by rioters outside Port Said prison Twenty-seven people have been killed and over 300 injured during violent clashes between security forces and the residents of Egypt's canal city Port Said.Troops were deployed on the streets after demonstrators tried to storm the prison and free 21 defendants sentenced to death in the Port Said stadium disaster case.
Egypt’s Interior Ministry said that a number of security forces have been injured during the clashes, as they confront attempts to storm the prison and a number of public facilities.
Health affairs director Helmy el-Afney called on residents to donate blood to save those who suffered severe injuries.
Cairo's Criminal Court found the defendants guilty of killing al-Ahly fans, referring the matter to Egypt’s Grand Mufti to authorise the death sentence.
The judicial session was conducted amid intensive security measures, coinciding with the attempts of the families of defendants to storm the prison.
Families of those killed expressed their satisfaction for the ruling, praising the Egyptian judiciary for achieving "justice."
Father of victim Mohamed Ali said that Port Said residents tried to storm the prison in Port Said to help their relative escape from the prison, while the security forces prevented them.
Military General Ahmed Wasfy, Leader of Egypt’s Second Army Field, said that they decided to deploy a number of military units to the streets in a bid to achieve stability and calm in Port Said and to protect the public facilities.
Sources said that Governor of Port Said Mohamed Abdallah called on the military forces to intervene to contain the state of insecurity that erupted after the judicial ruling.
The sources said that the military may impose a curfew, warning people that "thugs" may infiltrate demonstrations.
Member of Egypt’s Shura Council, Hussien Zaied said that the Egyptian authorities should announce a state of emergency. He stressed the need for interference of the military forces to protect the lives of the people during the coming hours that could witness notable deterioration.
There was a state of panic in the coastal city as rioters attacked citizens and public buildings. Meanwhile, security forces exchanged fire with the protesters in front of the prison.
Earlier on Saturday, Cairo's criminal court sentenced 21 men to death for killing 74 members of al-Ahly Ultras fan group at a league match between al-Masry and al-Ahly in February last year. The trial into the incident, known as 'the Port Said Massacre' involved a total of 73 suspects, with the court postponing verdict on the remaining suspects until March 9. Only nine suspects were at the Police Academy where the trial was held amid heightened security, as the families of those sentenced to death tried to break into Port Said prison.
Judge Sobhi Abdel Meguid presided over the court with Judges Tarek Gad el-Mawla and Mohammed Abdel Kereem.
Families of victims attending the trial cheered the sentence, chanting the judge's name ["Sobhi! Sobhi!"], while some cried and others knelt down to offer prayers of thanksgiving. The father of victim Mohamed Ali told Arabstoday: "I can finally sleep easy after justice has been done for my son. This is the first ruling to bring joy to the hearts of the martyrs' families." The bereaved father also thanked the al-Ahly Ultras for "applying pressure" on the court's council to "exact just retribution."
Al Ahly's Ultras collective [known as the Ahlawi] celebrated the ruling by lighting fireworks and flares. Mohammed Hamam, an Ultras fan, told Arabstoday: "We finally got just retribution for the martyrs of Port said. We were hoping that the ruling would be made without any threats after all the old regime's men got non-guilty verdicts in cases relating to the killing of the martyrs." He said the Ultras will be celebrating but will also continue to apply pressure until the March 9 court session.
Some of the families of the men sentenced to death headed to Port Said prison in an attempt to rescue them. Egyptian state televisions reported that the families surrounded the prison but that security forces repelled the attack.
A security source told Arabstoday: "Not all suspects attended the court for the trial and only senior security officials were there, as Judge Sobhi Abdel Meguid requested." Security forces stationed outside Gate 5 at the Police Academy in the western-Cairo suburb of el-Hay el-Khames, allowed victims' families, lawyers and reporters who carried a permit to enter, after the families gathered outside the gates and started knocking on them to be allowed in. Ten ambulances were parked outside the gate of the academy.
Ahlawi ultra youths wearing the group's distinctive uniform and some of them carrying flat drums, gathered outside el-Sayeda Zeinab Mosque and marched to the al-Ahly club's stadium before heading to the Police Academy to hear the ruling.
According to case files, the 73 suspects, including nine senior officials at the Port Said Security Directorate and three club officials, are accused of premeditated murder with intent to kill members of the al-Ahly's Ultras in retribution for previous disagreements. They are accused of planning to attack the Ultras members using knives, explosives [flares and fireworks], rocks and other assault tools.
The suspects sentenced to capital punishment were named as Mohammed Refaat el-Danf, Mohammed Rashad Qouta, Mohammed el-Sayed Mostafa, el-Sayed Mahmoud, Khalaf Abu Zeid, Mohammed Adel Shehata, Ahmed Fathi Mazroua, Hesham el-Badri, Mahmoud Mohammed al-Boghdady, Fouad Ahmed el-Tabei, Mohammed Shaaban Mohammed, Tarek Asran, Nasser Samir, Mohammed Hussein Attiya, Ahmed Reda, Ahmed Abdel Reheem, Abdel Azeem Ghareeb, Mohsen Mohammed Hussein, Wael Youssef Abdel Kader, Mohammed Dessouqi and Mahmoud Ali Abdel Reheem.
In accordance with Egyptian law, the sentence to death by hanging is referred to the country's Grand Mufti for approval on religious grounds.