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Egypt football: Death sentences over Port Said stadium violence | Egypt football: Death sentences over Port Said stadium violence |
(35 minutes later) | |
An Egyptian court has sentenced to death 21 defendants over clashes between rival football fans in which 74 people were killed in February 2012. | |
The riots - Egypt's worst-ever football disaster - began after a top-league game at Port Said stadium. | |
The ruling sparked a clash outside Port Said prison, where defendants are held, with one police officer shot dead. | |
The sentences came after clashes erupted on the second anniversary of the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak. | |
Friday saw thousands of people take to the streets to voice their opposition to Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, accusing him of betraying the revolution. | |
At least seven people were killed and more than 450 wounded in unrest across Egypt. | |
Last year's football riots led to the suspension of the league. | Last year's football riots led to the suspension of the league. |
They began minutes after the game in Port Said. Fans of local side al-Masry fans invaded the pitch, hurling stones and fireworks at visiting supporters from Cairo club al-Ahly - known as "ultras". | |
At the time some fans said security forces did little to prevent the clashes. They also accused supporters of toppled President Hosni Mubarak of instigating the incident. | |
The violence in Port Said sparked riots in Cairo during which a further 16 people died. | |
After Saturday's verdict was delivered, relatives of those sentenced to death tried to storm Port Said prison, Egypt's state-run Nile TV reported. One policeman was killed in the clash, security officials said. | |
Seventy-three people, including policemen, were tried over the stadium clashes. | |
The judge said he would announce the verdict for the remaining 52 defendants on 9 March. | The judge said he would announce the verdict for the remaining 52 defendants on 9 March. |