A Rabat court has sentenced Algerian YouTuber Raouf Belkacemi to three months in prison and a 500-dirham fine over a video filmed during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The ruling was issued by the city’s court of first instance on Monday evening, with the content creator already being held in pre-trial detention.
Raouf Belkacemi, incarcerated at Arjat prison, was found guilty of “public outrage against decency” and making “statements contrary to morals and public ethics” in the context of sporting events. The case stems from a video he published in which he claimed to have urinated in the stands at Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat, in the middle of the crowd, during a AFCON match.
He said he acted that way because of the intense stress he felt while watching his national team face the Democratic Republic of Congo in the round of 16. Moroccan authorities arrested him on 7 January 2025 in Casablanca, after which the public prosecutor ordered his provisional detention and transfer to Arjat prison pending trial.
The verdict comes amid heightened sensitivity around behaviour by visiting supporters during AFCON 2025, with Moroccan institutions keen to protect public order and the country’s image as host.
The case has also revived debate on the limits of so-called “prank” or shock content on social media when it clashes with local laws and social norms.
