Ultras White Knights soccer fans light flares during a match between Egyptian Premier League clubs Zamalek and ENPPI at the Air Defense Stadium in a suburb east of Cairo, Egypt. (Photo: AP)
The trial of 16 defendants charged with violent acts outside a football stadium in February that led to the deaths of 20 fans is scheduled to begin Saturday.
On 8 February, 20 people, including a 14-year-old girl, were killed after security forces used teargas to stop fans from entering the military-owned Cairo Stadium to watch a domestic league match between two Cairo clubs, Zamalek and Enppi.
Among the defendants are Ultras White Knights (UWK) members. They are also charged with arson and rioting.
Police claim the victims died due to a stampede, while UWK members dispute the police account, saying they were teargassed as they scrambled to enter the stadium ahead of the game, and only able to get through a "tiny metal fence surrounded by barbed wire."
Eyewitnesses at the scene said the police didn't initally use water cannon to disperse the crowd, which is standard procedure according to the protest law, and instead used teargas.
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