Moroccan prosecutors on Thursday sought jail terms of up to two years for 18 Senegalese football fans imprisoned in Rabat since last month’s AFCON final over “hooliganism”.
Seeking the maximum penalty for some, the prosecution told the court that the defendants had “deliberately sought to disrupt the proper conduct of the match,” reporters gather.
It said the group “committed acts of violence broadcast live on television”, while the defendants have denied any wrongdoing.
The Senegalese fans have been in pre-trial detention since January 18, the day of the heated AFCON final in which Morocco lost to Senegal 1-0 on home turf.
Minutes before the end of the match, some Senegalese supporters attempted a pitch invasion, while Senegal’s players halted the game for nearly 20 minutes to protest a late penalty awarded to Morocco.
Some fans were also seen throwing objects onto the field, including a chair.
The prosecution said evidence against the defendants was based on footage from surveillance cameras at the stadium, as well as medical reports documenting injuries among security forces and stadium stewards.
Material damage to the stadium was estimated at more than 4 million Moroccan dirhams ($430,000), the prosecution said.
Morocco is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.
