A lawyer representing defendants in the Port Said massacre trial went on the defensive Thursday, questioning the integrity of the prosecutor and accusing the media of misrepresenting the incident in which 74 fans were killed
Ashraf al-Ezaby, a lawyer representing nine of the defendants, cited witness testimony accusing the prosecutor of improper conduct during investigations. According to the testimony presented by al-Ezaby, the prosecutor did not wait for witnesses to respond to questions he asked them. Al-Ezaby submitted a memorandum to the court that included this and other witness testimonies.
Al-Ezaby also took aim at the media, saying that the incident was not a massacre and alleging that none of the victims had been slaughtered. He said that misleading photos of the incident were published to mobilize public opinion against the accused.
Seventy-five defendants, including nine police leaders from the Port Said Security Department, are being tried in the Port Said Criminal Court.
Heated altercations broke out in the courtroom after Thursday's session between lawyers of the defendants and the relatives of the victims. Security forces separated the two sides, making a security cordon in the courtroom.
Seventy-four Ahly fans were killed on 1 February in Port Said Stadium after a football game between Ahly and Masry when Masry supporters stormed the field.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
