فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Mohamed Abdennabaoui, First President of the Court of Cassation and Delegate President of the Supreme Council of the Judicial Power, said on Wednesday in Rabat that addressing troubling phenomena linked to the sports sector has become an urgent matter requiring a high level of firmness and responsibility, given the rapid transformations shaping the organization of major sporting events.
Speaking in remarks delivered on his behalf by the Council’s Secretary-General, Monir Al-Muntasir Billah, at the opening of the International Scientific Forum on “Security of Major Sporting Events: Security and Legal Challenges in the Digital Age,” Abdennabaoui explained that the objective is to safeguard sport as a space for promoting citizenship values, a driver of development, and a tool for strengthening national belonging—rather than allowing it to become a breeding ground for fanaticism, violence, or hate speech.
He noted that this strategic vision should serve as the reference framework for any national policy aimed at securing major sporting events, especially amid rising organizational stakes, a growing number of stakeholders, and the overlap between physical venues and digital spaces—developments that bring new legal and security challenges.
Abdennabaoui stressed that sporting events are no longer limited to matches played in stadiums, but have become complex undertakings spanning years of preparation, extending across cities, infrastructure, and transport networks, and expanding digitally through broadcasting platforms, social media, and applications related to ticketing, access, payments, and virtual interaction among millions of followers.
In this context, he warned of emerging threats, particularly cyber risks, including attacks targeting digital ticketing systems and event applications, attempts to breach stadium control systems, and the exploitation of public wireless networks for fraud and the theft of personal and financial data.
He concluded that as Morocco prepares to host a major global sporting milestone—the FIFA World Cup—the country fully recognizes the scale of the challenge. Meeting it will require comprehensive institutional and human mobilization, investment in research and knowledge, continuous modernization of legal, judicial, and security frameworks, and responsible engagement in multilateral international cooperation.
The three-day forum is organized by the Ministry of Justice in partnership with Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, the General Directorate of National Security, the Royal Gendarmerie, and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, with support from the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, the International Organization for Migration, and the Arab Sports Police Federation.
The event takes place as Morocco prepares to host the Africa Cup of Nations and jointly organize the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal, bringing together ministers, senior officials, and national and international experts from leading sports, security, and judicial institutions.
Source: Fes News Media
