Senegal Football Fans Return Home After Moroccan Royal Pardon

Moroccan King Grants Humanitarian Pardon to Senegalese Football Supporters

A group of Senegalese football supporters who were arrested following their country’s chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final in Morocco have returned home after receiving a pardon from the Moroccan king. The royal pardon, granted on humanitarian grounds during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, applied to 15 of the 18 fans who were initially sentenced to prison terms ranging from three months to one year for hooliganism.

The Senegalese president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, welcomed the supporters upon their arrival at the airport outside Dakar on Sunday. He expressed gratitude to Moroccan authorities for the pardon and praised the national team as “two-time African champions” despite the ongoing dispute over the final’s outcome.

In January, Senegal won the AFCON final against Morocco in Rabat, but the match was later awarded to Morocco by administrative ruling after a penalty was awarded to the hosts. The incident led to violence involving Senegalese fans, who tried to storm the pitch and hurled projectiles. As a result, 18 Senegalese supporters were arrested and sentenced to prison terms.

The royal pardon was announced by Morocco’s royal court on Saturday, stating that it was granted “on humanitarian grounds” in view of the “age-old fraternal ties” between the two countries. The pardon applied to those 15 fans who remained imprisoned after three others were released earlier this month.

The episode has strained relations between Morocco and Senegal, but the decision is seen as a gesture of goodwill during the Eid al-Adha celebrations.

Source: Al Jazeera