Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has confirmed that King Mohammed VI of Morocco declined his personal request for a royal pardon for Senegalese supporters imprisoned following violent clashes during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final.
Faye revealed that he personally wrote to the Moroccan monarch to request the release of the detained fans, but said no positive response has been received. “I wrote to the King of Morocco to congratulate him on hosting the Africa Cup of Nations and to ask him to pardon our fans,” Faye said. “I addressed the legal, diplomatic, and religious aspects, but he did not issue any positive response.”
Faye also disclosed a significant procedural development, explaining that after initial sentences were issued, Senegal chose not to appeal in order to reassure Moroccan authorities and expedite the process, only to be surprised when Morocco itself initiated the appeal, prolonging the proceedings.
The 18 Senegalese fans and one French national were convicted in February on charges of hooliganism, violence against police, and damage to sports equipment, with sentences ranging from three months to one year and fines of between 90 and 460 euros. The Rabat Court of Appeal upheld those sentences.
Three of the supporters who received the shortest sentences have since been released after completing their terms, with the men stopping in Fez to visit a Tijaniyya Sufi lodge before returning to Dakar. The remaining 15 fans are still in custody.
Faye said Dakar had pursued every available avenue to secure the release of its citizens. Defense lawyer Patrick Kabo maintained that the wrong people were punished. “Mistakes were made, and those truly responsible are in Senegal, not here,” he told reporters, with many of the accused claiming they entered the pitch under pressure or to escape projectiles.
The lawyer representing the 15 remaining fans has said he intends to file a fresh request for a royal pardon.
The diplomatic standoff adds strain to ties between two nations that share deep historical and religious bonds. Faye acknowledged those bonds in his letter to the King, noting that Senegal and Morocco share strong ties that should be preserved.
The AFCON final in January descended into chaos after a contested penalty decision prompted Senegalese supporters to invade the pitch. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) subsequently awarded the title to Morocco after ruling that Senegal’s walk-off breached tournament regulations.
