Morocco authorities on Thursday requested up to two years in prison for 18 Senegalese football supporters detained in Rabat since last month’s AFCON final for “hooliganism.”
The prosecution sought the maximum penalty for three of the defendants, claiming that they had “deliberately sought to disrupt the proper conduct of the match.”
It claimed the group “committed acts of violence broadcast live on television,” but the defendants have denied any culpability.
The Senegalese fans have been in pre-trial detention since January 18, the day of Morocco’s heated AFCON final loss to Senegal 1-0 at home.
Some Senegalese fans attempted a pitch invasion minutes before the match ended, and Senegalese players delayed play for over 20 minutes to protest a late penalty handed to Morocco.
Some spectators were also spotted hurling objects on the field, including a chair.
The prosecution said that evidence against the defendants was based on surveillance camera footage from the stadium, as well as medical reports documenting injuries among security personnel and stadium stewards.
The prosecution assessed that the stadium suffered material damage worth more than 4 million Moroccan dirhams ($430,000).
Morocco is slated to co-host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal.
