Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has pardoned 15 Senegalese football supporters imprisoned following violence at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final in Rabat, with the royal court citing humanitarian grounds and the enduring fraternal bond between the two nations in a statement released Saturday, May 23.
The palace tied the decision to the approach of Eid al-Adha, which Morocco will observe on Wednesday, May 27, framing the pardon as both a religious gesture and a reaffirmation of longstanding bilateral goodwill.
The supporters were among 18 Senegalese fans arrested after clashes erupted during the AFCON final on January 18 at Rabat’s Moulay Abdellah Stadium. Moroccan courts had sentenced them to terms ranging from three months to one year, basing the charges on stadium surveillance footage, medical reports of injured law enforcement officers and stewards, and evidence of property destruction. Authorities placed the total material damage at more than $430,000.
Three supporters completed their three month sentences and walked free in mid-April. The remaining 15 were still serving terms of between six months and one year when the king intervened.
The violence erupted late in the final after Morocco received a stoppage time penalty, moments after a Senegalese goal had been disallowed. Senegalese supporters attempted to storm the pitch and hurled projectiles at security personnel, triggering confrontations with stewards and officers.
Senegal had initially won the chaotic encounter by a single goal, but the Confederation of African Football (CAF) overturned the result and awarded the title administratively to hosts Morocco on March 17. Senegal subsequently challenged that ruling before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye welcomed the pardon in a post on X, saying the detained supporters would soon be reunited with their families and expressing personal gratitude to the Moroccan king for his clemency.
Lawyer Patrick Kabou, who represented several of the detained supporters, told AFP the group was expected to be released late Saturday.
Morocco and Senegal maintain deep diplomatic and cultural ties across sectors including tourism and energy, with Senegalese citizens forming the largest foreign community residing in Morocco.
