Negotiations have been taking place with the Port Said court panel to issue the verdict in the Port Said football violence case on 26 January without any defendants in attendance to prevent a riot.
Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim said that the court had also made an agreement not to transfer the suspects in the case from Port Said to Cairo.
Seventy three defendants, including nine officials from the Port Said Security Directorate, are involved in the case, also dubbed the "Port Said massacre" by some media outlets. Following a football match between the visiting Ahly Club and Al-Masry Club last February, a large crowd stormed the pitch and attacked Ahly fans, resulting in 72 deaths.
The court has also reported decided to ban media from publishing news on the case.
Protests took place in Port Said Saturday with protesters demanding that defendants not be transferred to Cairo. The protests included former members of Parliament.
In Cairo's Tahrir Square, Ultras Ahlawy members protested Friday demanding retribution for victims of the violence.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
