Cairo: Security officials will be among 50
suspects that would be referred for criminal proceedings in
connection with Egypt`s worst football violence that claimed
71 lives and sparked widespread anti-government protests.
Egyptian judicial sources said that the attorney general
would soon announce results of an investigation into the
violence early this month at Port Said city after a football
match between popular clubs Al-Ahly and Al-Masry.
More than 50 suspects will be referred to a criminal court
to be charged for the violence and three Port Said security
officials will be among them, a media report said.
The security officials will be charged with negligence
that caused deaths and injury to more than 200 people, said a
report in Al Masry Al Youm newspaper, quoting sources who
spoke on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, Egypt`s lawyers association said it has
assigned a defence team to represent the families of the
victims, and that the attorney general`s order for the
suspects to appear in court would be issued within a few days.
The order, they said, would hold many surprises,
especially regarding the names of the suspects.
At its meeting yesterday, the lawyers association said it
has obtained important information that it would not divulge
until investigations are over.
Lawyers Syndicate spokesperson Abdel Aziz al-Derini said
that turning off the stadium lights during the incident made
it difficult to identify perpetrators in the surveillance
camera recordings.
The fact-finding committee that was formed by the
syndicate said in its report that eyewitness testimonies
confirmed beyond doubt that security services were greatly
involved from the beginning until the end of the incident,
deliberately making sure the largest number of deaths
occurred, it said.
22 suspects in the violence have been released after
spending 15 days in custody pending investigations, while
prosecutors ordered the arrest of others who appeared on
security footage.
PTI
