CAIRO — A trial of 61 men accused of involvement in an Egyptian soccer stampede that left 74 dead was suspended briefly yesterday after dozens of defendants began shouting as the prosecutor read out charges.
Judge Abdel Magid Mahmoud walked out as the defendants jumped on benches in the court cage and waved their fists at the bench. The proceedings resumed a short time later.
“Either we get justice for them or we die ourselves,” the defendants yelled, denying any role in the stadium stampede in Port Said on Feb. 1 that was the deadliest sporting tragedy in Egyptian history.
Many of those killed were crushed when panicked fans tried to escape from the stadium after a post-match pitch invasion. — Reuters