Morocco king pardons jailed Senegal football fans for humanitarian reasons

play Live Sign upShow navigation menu.css-15ru6p1{font-size:inherit;font-weight:normal;}Navigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle EastExplainedOpinionSportVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomyHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNavigation menucaret-leftTrendingUS-Israel war on IranTracking Israel's ceasefire violationsRussia-Ukraine warDonald Trumpcaret-rightSport|FootballMorocco king pardons jailed Senegal football fans from AFCON finalMorocco jailed 17 Senegal fans following fan disturbances at the Africa Cup of Nations final in January. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoMorocco's Yassine Bounou reacts as fans invade the pitch after Morocco were awarded a penalty following a VAR review [Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters]By Kevin Hand and AFPPublished On 23 May 202623 May 2026Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has pardoned the Senegalese football supporters jailed after violence at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final in Rabat for “humanitarian reasons”, a royal court statement has confirmed. It said that in view “of the age-old fraternal ties” between the two countries “and on the occasion of the advent of Eid al-Adha”, the king has “granted, on humanitarian grounds, his royal pardon to the Senegalese supporters”. The Muslim holiday will be celebrated on Wednesday in Morocco. In February, Moroccan courts sentenced 18 Senegalese supporters held in Morocco since the final to prison terms ranging from three months to a year. Three were released from jail in mid-April after completing their three-month sentence. Following that release, another 15 Senegalese fans remained incarcerated after receiving sentences ranging from six months to one year. The royal pardon is expected to apply to those 15. Lawyer Patrick Kabou, who represented a large number of the Senegalese, told the news agency AFP that they were expected to be released late Saturday. According to the public prosecutor’s office, the charges were based mainly on footage from cameras at Rabat’s Moulay Abdellah Stadium, and on medical certificates for injured law enforcement officers and stewards. Material damage from the violence was estimated at more than 370,000 euros (approximately $430,000). The 18 fans were jailed following a pitch invasion that followed the awarding of a penalty to Morocco in injury time of the final on January 18. The game stopped for 14 minutes while the Senegal players and staff left the field in protest at the decision. When play resumed, Morocco missed the penalty before Senegal sealed a 1-0 win in injury time. The Confederation of African Football (CAF), the continent’s governing body for football, overturned the decision on March 17, awarding the game as a 3-0 win to Morocco, which saw the North Africans crowned champions. CAF upheld the appeal by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, saying Senegal had infringed tournament regulations by walking off. Senegal have lodged their own appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, a ruling from the Switzerland-based body could take up to a year. Advertisement AboutAboutShow moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English: