Egypt's Interior Minister General Magdi Abdel Ghaffar attends the closing session of Egypt Economic Development Conference (EEDC) in Sharm el-Sheikh, in the South Sinai governorate, south of Cairo, March 15, 2015 (Photo: Reuters)
Ten prisoners at the Mostaqbal Prison in Ismailia have been treated for food poisoning, the Ahram Arabic news website reported on Wednesday.
All the poisoned prisoners are defendants in the retrial of the Port Said football stadium case, in which they and 63 others face charges of killing over 70 Ahly fans after a match between the Cairo club and Port Said’s Masry club at the stadium on 1 February 2012.
Defendants in the retrial, where a verdict is expected on 30 May, include nine policemen and three Masry Club officials.
Three of the prisoners who fell ill at the Mostaqbal Prison were among 21 people sentenced to death in the case’s first trial in March 2013.
Five people were sentenced to life in jail, while 17 others were handed jail terms of varying lengths, including two police officers who received 15 years. Another 28 people were acquitted, including seven policemen.
In February 2014, an appeals court accepted an appeal from the prosecution against the initial ruling, and ordered a retrial.
In recent weeks, the general prosecution has visited several Egyptian prisons, after reports emerged of poor conditions and the mistreatment of detainees inside them.
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