Mohammed VI has granted a royal pardon to Senegalese football supporters imprisoned following violence at the controversial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat, Morocco’s royal court announced on Saturday.
According to the statement, the pardon was issued on “humanitarian grounds” in recognition of the “age-old fraternal ties” between Morocco and Senegal and ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, which will be celebrated in Morocco on Wednesday.
The royal court stated that the monarch had “granted, on humanitarian grounds, his royal pardon to the Senegalese supporters,” bringing relief to the remaining fans jailed after the explosive events that marred the AFCON final earlier this year.
In February, Moroccan courts sentenced 18 Senegalese supporters arrested after the final to prison terms ranging from three months to one year. Three supporters completed their three-month sentences and were released in mid-April, while 15 others remained behind bars serving sentences of between six months and one year.
The latest pardon is expected to apply to those 15 remaining detainees.
Lawyer Patrick Kabou, who represented many of the Senegalese supporters, told AFP that the group was expected to be released late Saturday.
The supporters were prosecuted following violent scenes that erupted during the AFCON final at Rabat’s Moulay Abdellah Stadium on January 18.
According to Morocco’s public prosecutor’s office, the charges against the fans were based largely on surveillance footage captured inside the stadium as well as medical reports documenting injuries sustained by law enforcement officers and stewards during the unrest.
Authorities estimated the material damage caused by the violence at more than €370,000, approximately $430,000.
The chaos unfolded after a dramatic injury-time penalty was awarded to Morocco national football team during the final against Senegal national football team.
Senegal’s players and officials protested the decision and temporarily walked off the pitch, causing a 14-minute stoppage. When play eventually resumed, Morocco failed to convert the penalty before Senegal scored a late winner to seemingly secure a 1-0 victory.
However, the controversy deepened weeks later when Confederation of African Football overturned the match result on March 17, awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory and officially crowning the North Africans as African champions.
CAF ruled in favour of an appeal lodged by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, stating that Senegal had breached tournament regulations by abandoning the match.
Senegal have since appealed the CAF ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland, although a final decision from the tribunal may take up to a year.
