The North Cairo Criminal Court resumed Monday the ‘Air Defence Stadium’ trial in the premises of the Police Institute in Tora, adjourning the case to a 13 June session to listen to witnesses and the Forensic Medicine Authority’s doctors.
(Photo Public Domain)
The Monday session witnessed delays as defendants were transported to the court late and their families were prevented from entering the court.
The case involves 16 defendants who stand accused of rioting in the events that saw the deaths of 22 football fans of Zamalek SC.
The first session of the trial was held on 18 April, after the General Prosecution referred 16 defendants, referred to as ‘Ultras fans and Muslim Brotherhood members’, to trial. The court adjourned the case to review the case exhibits and respond to the defence’s demands.
The incident took place before the match, as fans were attempting to enter the Air Defence Stadium, before the Zamalek SC and ENPPI premier league football match. The deaths occurred as security forces violently dispersed crowding fans at the entrance to the stadium.
In March, Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat claimed that Muslim Brotherhood members provided the Zamalek hardcore fan group Ultras White Knights (UWK) with money and explosive materials to commit violence and riots, which led to the killings.
The prosecution also accused the defendants of committing crimes to “create a state of anarchy to sabotage the Economic Summit”. The prosecution had also previously ordered the arrest of a number of UWK leaders, accusing them of inciting the stadium’s storming.
