Port Said Criminal Court announced its verdict to refer the files of 21 defendants of Port Said’s youth to the Mufti of the Republic to advise the Islamic judgment of applying the death sentence against them for murdering 74 young men – mostly members of Ultras Ahlawy – at Port Said Stadium. But the families feel that justice has still not been served.

The verdict is partial despite the execution

Port Said Criminal Court announced its verdict to refer the files of 21 defendants of Port Said’s youth to the Mufti of the Republic to advise the Islamic judgment of applying the death sentence against them for murdering 74 young men – mostly members of Ultras Ahlawy – at Port Said Stadium. But the families feel that justice has still not been served.

The verdict is partial despite the execution

Suleiman Hassan, an army officer who lost his 19-year-old son in the Port Said disaster, objected to describing the issued verdict as “just or unjust”. He says his son Mahmoud was murdered by suffocation in front of a locked gate of Port Said Stadium. He said that the gates were locked and large amounts of tear gas were used against the youth escaping the assault of dozens of spectators against them after the game, “which made my son prefer to die by suffocation rather than by the weapons of those thugs.”

“The real motivators behind this case are still free. Therefore, I only ask for God’s justice, not that of the court. I pray to the Almighty to avenge me against those responsible of this crime,” Hassan added.

“This verdict will not bring my brother back”

Mahmoud’s older brother says death sentences for 21 defendants, most of whom are “thugs or ex-cons,” will not bring his brother back and consequently “I will not deem the verdict as just.” He also suggests that justice means inclusive castigation, which he says requires bringing the person who gave the orders and spent money on murdering the innocents to justice.

“The murderer is still killing other youth in order to spread chaos in the country,” Mahmoud’s brother insists, “with a political purpose aiming to encourage corruption or eliminate President Morsi’s regime.

The Ultras will continue seeking castigation

Ahmed Raouf, Head of Ultras Ahlawy and a close friend of Mahmoud, says Ultras Ahlawy will continue seeking castigation. He expects more chaos, especially after March 9th when the death sentence against the 21 convicted will be pronounced. He attributes such predicted chaos to the absence of the other defendants and the primary instigator behind this case, underlying that the Ultras are determined to continue their struggle until all those involved in this crime are brought to justice. However, Raouf is fully satisfied with the execution of the 21 defendants, saying: “We are satisfied even if the death sentence for some defendants was commuted to life imprisonment.”

Raouf directed his struggle against the police, stressing the need to convict and execute officers and security leaders, and justifying that those who incited murder should definitely be punished just as the murders themselves. He believed that those who locked the stadium gates and left those youth to suffocate by the police gas were the security forces and were thus murderers just like the other defendants. On the destiny of the Ultras, he added, “We will continue playing on the Egyptian fields, including those of Port Said Governorate, marching with the Al-Ahly Club wherever they go. We do not fear death and are ready to die for full retribution.”

Only the first round of the case has ended

On the other hand, the victims’ lawyer, Rajai Attia, believes that the Mufti’s opinion is non-binding for the court in accordance with the constitution and the criminal law, and that those defendants have the right to appeal after the verdict, which would be issued upon the Mufti’s recommendation on March 9th. The former head of the bar association suggests a possibility to accept the appeal in case of new evidence in favor of the defendants. In addition, the defendants sentenced to death in absentia are entitled to a retrial in case they are arrested or turned themselves in which case the investigation will be reopened; their statements will be heard meaning that all possibilities are open to all defendants again, especially the fugitives. Only the first round of the case has ended, according to Attia.

Attia says he submitted to the court a new bill of indictment accusing new defendants from the police and security forces, including former security chief of Port Said, head of General Security, head of Central Security, and some officers who are complicit to murder because they failed to protect the spectators and their alleged previous knowledge of the crime. He said that those who incite murder should receive the same sentence as the killers according to the law.

Destiny of the case

Ahmed Sarhan, a lawyer and head of the Egyptian Legal Foundation, believes that this case, like the trials that accompanied the revolution, is manipulated by hidden hands that play an important role in the events. He calls them the third party; in other words, figures from within the security agencies, who manipulate the crime scene and destroy substantial evidence making the court unable to issue convictions in most cases.

Sarhan says the verdict will be final once the Mufti provides his counsel. He adds that the coming stage will be in front of the Appeal Court, which is not authorized to acquit the defendants but only to validate the adopted legal proceedings and the nature of the investigations. If a defect appears, the court decides to re-investigate before a second entity, according to facts presented by the defendants and their lawyers.