The Court of Appeal in Rabat has postponed today, Monday, the hearing regarding the detained fans related to the riots that accompanied the Africa Cup of Nations final “Morocco 2025” until April 13. The court announced that the case is now “ready” in terms of procedural matters, awaiting the completion of the defense arguments.
This postponement comes in response to a request from the defense team, which saw two new lawyers joining during the last session. One is from the Casablanca Bar Association and the other from Italy. The first represents a French fan, while the second is defending one of the Senegalese fans involved in the case.
The defense for the accused confirmed that this development necessitates granting an additional period to review the details of the case thoroughly and to communicate with the detainees, who have been in custody since January 18, in order to prepare a comprehensive defense before the next session, which will be the third in the appellate phase.
The defense team reiterated its request for temporary release, arguing that the continued detention of some of the defendants is disproportionate to the nature of the actions attributed to them, particularly in the case of the French fan, who is mainly charged with throwing a water bottle after being acquitted of several more serious charges.
The Rabat Primary Court had previously issued judgments against 19 fans, ranging from three months to one year in prison, along with fines between 1,200 and 5,000 dirhams, following the events that occurred during the championship final.
The anticipated session on April 13 is expected to be a decisive moment in this case, as it will likely witness detailed arguments that could either reassess some of the rulings or uphold them, in a case that has sparked widespread discussion about balancing order in stadiums with ensuring the rights of defendants to a fair trial.
