Ten rioters handed death sentences

A court on Monday upheld death sentences against 10 people over rioting at a Port Said soccer stadium five years ago that killed 74 fans and sparked more violence in Egypt.

The February 2012 riot, the country’s deadliest sports-related violence, broke out when fans of home team Al-Masry and Cairo’s Al-Ahly clashed following the clubs’ top-flight match.

Ultras — hardcore soccer supporters usually blamed by the authorities for violence — were at the forefront of the 2011 uprising that unseated longtime president Hosni Mubarak.

The riot became one of the defining moments of the turbulence that followed Egypt’s uprising, sparking violent protests in Cairo where 16 people were killed in clashes with security forces.

Dozens of deaths were also reported in Port Said.