Overview
- Morocco’s royal court announced on Saturday that King Mohammed VI granted clemency to the remaining Senegalese supporters jailed over January’s Africa Cup of Nations final and the freed men were flown back to Dakar for a public welcome.
- The pardoned group included 15 supporters who had been serving six-month to one-year sentences after Moroccan courts in February convicted 18 fans on hooliganism charges based on stadium camera footage and medical certificates.
- The charges against the supporters covered throwing objects, violence against security staff and damage to stadium infrastructure that Moroccan prosecutors estimated at more than €370,000.
- The football dispute is unresolved because the Confederation of African Football administratively awarded the title to Morocco in March and Senegal has appealed that decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.
- The pardon was presented by Morocco as a move to repair fraternal ties with Senegal and reduce bilateral strain after the final provoked online abuse and diplomatic tensions, a dynamic that could shape future cooperation and public sentiment between the two countries.