11 sentenced to prison in assassination attempt of Mortada Mansour

Monday 15-02-2016 08:34 PM
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CAIRO, Feb 15 (Aswat Masriya) - An Egyptian court sentenced 11 people to one year in prison with labour on Monday, during their retrial for allegedly attempting to murder the chairman of Zamalek sporting club.

The Ultras White Knights group, made up of ardent Zamalek supporters, said in a short statement on its Facebook page, "we hope" they are acquitted before the Court of Cassation, Egypt's highest court.  

This case dates back to August 2014 when Zamalek Chairman Mortada Mansour said he was shot at and that three people were injured in the incident.

The court had previously sentenced the defendants in the case to five years in absentia, but they turned themselves in and requested a retrial.

Mansour and Ultras White Knights group have had an open dispute over the past few years.

Last year, at least 19 Zamalek fans were killed when they were lined outside a football game on the night of Feb. 8, 2015. The fans found an unusual setup when they arrived, a metal gate was built outside the stadium and many of Zamalek's fans died trapped within. The exact details which led to the deaths remain contested.

In a memorial held last week to mark the one-year anniversary of the deaths, members of Ultras White Knights gathered in park in Cairo to "claim the rights" of the people killed last year while trying to make their way into the football game. Their chants directly accused Mansour of responsibility in the deadly incident.  

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