A criminal court in Rabat on Thursday postponed proceedings in the case involving 18 Senegalese football fans and one Algerian national charged over violent incidents during the Africa Cup of Nations final, delaying the next hearing until Jan. 29.
The defendants appeared before the Rabat Criminal Court accompanied by Moroccan lawyers, while lawyers representing civil plaintiffs were also present. The hearing took place under heightened security measures inside the courtroom.
Defense lawyers objected to the new hearing date, saying it coincides with a nationwide protest program announced by Morocco’s bar associations against a draft law regulating the legal profession.
During the hearing, lawyers for the Senegalese defendants requested provisional release, arguing that the accused have verifiable addresses through the Senegalese Embassy in Morocco and benefit from the same legal guarantees afforded to foreign nationals under Moroccan law. The defense proposed alternative measures, including financial bail, confiscation of passports and travel bans.
Defense lawyer Aicha El Kallaf of the Rabat Bar Association also urged the court to consider the strong diplomatic ties between Morocco and Senegal, noting that high-level meetings between officials from both countries are expected next week.
The lawyer representing the Algerian defendant, identified as M.I. and holding French nationality, also requested provisional release, saying his client traveled to Morocco to support his brother, a member of Senegal’s national team technical staff. He added that the French Embassy is monitoring the case.
At the start of the session, the court questioned the defendants about their proficiency in Arabic. Most said they spoke only French, while others indicated they spoke Senegalese local languages or Spanish, prompting the court to appoint a certified interpreter.
Lawyers for the civil parties requested a postponement to allow time to prepare civil claims.
The public prosecutor opposed the defense motions, stating that the case must be handled strictly in accordance with the law. “What the defendants did was witnessed live by the public,” the prosecutor said, adding that restraint shown by Moroccan fans prevented more serious consequences.
The Senegalese defendants are charged with participating in violence during a sporting event, forcibly entering the pitch, damaging stadium facilities, assaulting security forces and throwing hard objects that caused harm.
The Algerian defendant faces similar charges, including throwing liquid substances that caused damage during the match.
Thursday’s hearing was attended by two relatives of the Algerian defendant, several relatives of the Senegalese detainees who gathered outside the court, and a stadium steward injured during the AFCON final held Sunday at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
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