Moroccan court sentences 19 fans to jail for AFCON hooliganism

"After a hearing that lasted more than five hours, the presiding judge ruled that the fans -- 18 Senegalese and a French national -- were guilty of more than half a dozen charges, including damaging sporting facilities and committing violence during a sporting event. Eleven people were sentenced to one year in prison and handed a $550 fine. Four were sentenced to six months and given a $218 fine. The remaining four were sentenced to three months and a $130 fine, lawyer Naima El Guellaf told The Associated Press."

"One defendant fainted upon hearing the sentences. Others refused to rise from the defendants' bench when ordered to enter the small door leading to the holding cells. Family members, visibly shaken, insisted their relatives were innocent. Attorneys said they plan to appeal the decision that they view as severe. The defendants were arrested last month when outraged supporters tried to storm the pitch to protest a late penalty awarded to host Morocco during the final, which Senegal eventually won 1-0."

"The public prosecutor sought the maximum penalties against the fans, arguing that they had disrupted the orderly conduct of the match. He added that the damage was estimated at more than $476,719. Morocco has long grappled with episodes of soccer-related hooliganism and courts in the North African nation routinely handle cases tied to such incidents. However, this case was unusual as it involved only foreign nationals."

Nineteen soccer fans — 18 Senegalese and one French national — were convicted in Morocco on charges including damaging sporting facilities and committing violence during a sporting event. Sentences included eleven one-year prison terms with $550 fines, four six-month terms with $218 fines, and four three-month terms with $130 fines. Defendants were arrested after supporters attempted to storm the pitch to protest a late penalty in the Africa Cup of Nations final, which Senegal won 1-0, and were held in custody for over a month awaiting judgment. One defendant fainted during sentencing, family members protested innocence, attorneys announced plans to appeal, and the public prosecutor estimated damages exceeding $476,719.

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