The general prosecutor in Egypt has charged 75 people with negligence and murder for their role in a soccer game riot that cost 74 people their lives last month. The violence happened after a game between the Port Said Masry team and the Ahly club out of Cairo.
Among the people charged are eight police officers and a former security chief. The violence drew criticism for military leaders in Egypt because of the lack of security in the country in the last year. Many Egyptians say that there is little security in the country after former President Hosni Mubarak was ousted from power.
Mahmoud said that the team officials and even some of the police were aware that there was violence planned after the game. Some of the fans were known criminals and were still allowed to enter the stadium with swords and knives. There were no searches for weapons as people were entering the stadium.
An investigation has shown that the lights in the stadium were shut off when the attack started. Many Ahly fans were thrown from the terraces by the fans of the Port Said team. There were firebombs thrown on many people and when people tried to escape, they found the exit doors were locked.
After the riot, the rest of the games for the Egyptian soccer league were cancelled. The soccer federation’s board and president were dismissed. Several of the sport’s well known soccer players have refused to play again until the people who are responsible for the deaths are brought to justice.
