In a case that rights advocates say reflects the Algerian authorities’ escalating hostility toward Morocco, an Algerian court has sentenced a young football fan to two years in prison for wearing the Moroccan national team’s jersey at a domestic match.
The verdict was the latest episode of Algeria’s regime anti-Morocco posture. Algeria has unilaterally cut ties with Morocco in 2020. Since then, it has taken a series of Morocco-phobic moves including the closure of its airspace to Moroccan aircraft, imposing of visas on Moroccan nationals, and the use of media and sports arenas to fuel anti-Moroccan narratives.
Lyes Guernine-a 22-year-old from Ait Mesbah in Tizi Ouzou- in the breakaway Kabylie region- was arrested on January 2 while attending a match between JS Kabylie and MC Alger, according to independent journalist Abdou Semmar.
Due to his Moroccan jersey, he was charged with undermining national unity, a broad offense frequently used against critics and protesters.
Human rights activists say the incident marks an unprecedented step. While jerseys of foreign football teams such as Argentina, Brazil or Germany are commonly worn in Algeria, displaying the Moroccan kit has become increasingly sensitive as bilateral tensions deepen.
Semmar reported that the arrest occurred during the Africa Cup of Nations hosted in Morocco, where Algerian supporters were warmly received, prompting some fans to show appreciation by wearing Morocco’s colors. He said the gesture, harmless in most contexts, appears to have been interpreted by Algerian authorities as a political act rather than a footballing one.
Since the Hirak protest movement of 2019, Algeria has seen a wave of arrests of journalists, writers and activists.
Meanwhile, French journalist Christophe Gleizes remains behind bars after he was sentenced to seven years in jail for attempting to do a report relating to football in the Kabylie region.
