The Tikrit Municipality clarified the circumstances of its position on the problem that accompanied the basketball match between the Tikrit and Endaq teams in Akkar, stressing its absolute rejection of any attack, riot, or behavior that could endanger the safety of the players and the public, stressing at the same time the necessity of waiting for the results of the investigations before determining responsibilities.
The municipality’s position came after the match, which was held at Andqat Stadium, witnessed a problem between a number of attendees that developed into a fight and conflict, while press information reported that one of the people was stabbed, before an army force intervened and worked to control the situation and restore calm to the place.
The Tikrit Municipality confirmed that what happened did not represent the people of the town, and that individual actions or events that occurred during moments of tension should not be turned into a basis for holding a team, audience, or entire town responsible for what happened.
She stressed that determining the truth of the incident and the responsibilities resulting from it remains the responsibility of the security and judicial agencies, calling for allowing investigations to reach clear results based on the available evidence, most notably surveillance camera recordings, witness statements, and other data related to the problem.
The municipality pointed out that revealing the truth of what happened cannot be based on a separate video clip or a partial account, but rather requires returning to the entire sequence of events, from the moments that preceded the escalation, through what happened during the problem, all the way to what followed, with the aim of determining the role of each person who participated in it individually.
She considered that fair accountability must be based on facts and evidence, not on prior impressions or accusations, stressing that assigning responsibilities before completing the investigation may lead to injustice to parties or individuals, as well as increasing tension between the two publics.
In this context, the Tikrit Municipality called for an end to circulating unconfirmed stories or making prejudgments on social media before the results of investigations are issued, considering that the spread of fragmentary or inaccurate information could increase tension and negatively affect efforts aimed at uncovering the full circumstances of the incident.
The municipality wished a speedy recovery to all those injured, stressing that the safety and dignity of people must remain above any match, result, or sports competition, and that any dispute inside the stadium does not justify a turn to violence or endangering the lives of participants and attendees.
She also stressed the need not to allow the problem to be reflected in the relationship between the towns of Tikrit and Andaq, considering that the social, civil and geographical ties that bring together the people of the two towns are deeper than an individual incident that can be addressed within legal frameworks.
She stressed that the competition between sports teams, no matter how intense, must remain confined within its sporting framework and not turn into a dispute between the people, especially in light of the common relationships that bring together the people of Akkar’s towns and the social and family ties that go beyond the limits of competition inside the stadiums.
This invitation comes in light of the presence of basketball in local sporting activities in the region, as the Andaqat and Tikrit teams previously met in local tournaments, including the final of a tournament organized by the Andaqat Club in 2023, which ended with the victory of the host team, which reflects the existence of a previous sporting competition between the two teams within the local sporting activity.
The municipality considered that the subsequent completion of the match constitutes evidence of the possibility of separating the individual actions that took place from the sporting competition itself, and not allowing a security incident to turn into an open confrontation between two fans or two towns.
She called for not exploiting the problem or using it to raise sensitivities, considering that dealing with the incident must start from identifying the people responsible for any transgression and holding them accountable individually, instead of expanding the circle of accusations to include an entire audience, team, or local community.
The municipality of Tikrit also appealed to the people of the town, the public, and all concerned to exercise calm and restraint, and to stay away from debates, publications, and comments that could raise the level of tension, demanding that the competent agencies be allowed to complete the investigation, collect evidence, and listen to testimonies before issuing any final rulings.
The municipality confirmed that “Tikrit and Andaqat are two sister towns, and the competition between their teams remains sporting, but the relationship between their people is greater than any accident and more lasting than any result.”
The municipality of Tikrit concluded by stressing that it will continue to follow up on the issue with the concerned authorities, provided that it informs the people and public opinion of any reliable information or developments as soon as they become available, in parallel with waiting for what the investigations will reach regarding the sequence of events and the persons responsible for the problem.
