Moroccan footballer sentenced to two-years in prison over assault
The conviction of Moroccan footballer Ilias Chair on Friday, February 23, 2024, is sparking discussions and trends on social media, as he received a two-year jail term for assaulting a man in 2020.
In a significant turn of events, Moroccan international and Queens Park Rangers (QPR) midfielder Ilias Chair found himself entangled in a legal dispute over assault allegations stemming from an incident in Bazeilles, northern France, in the summer of 2020.
This case sheds light on the legal complexities that footballers may face and prompts questions about the intersection of public figures’ personal conduct and their professional lives.
Just days ago, Brazilian right-back Dani Alves was convicted of rape and sentenced to four and a half years behind bars,.
The allegations against Chair involved an altercation where he caused serious injury to a truck driver named Niels T by striking him with a rock. The incident took place while Niels T was waiting with his family for a coach back to Belgium after a kayaking trip.
Prosecutors from Chair’s hometown of Antwerp pursued the case, seeking a two-year jail term and a fine of £1,400 for the footballer.
Chair denied the charges, with his legal team arguing a lack of compelling evidence linking him directly to Niels T’s injuries.
This legal battle presents a significant challenge for Chair, who has been a key player for English Championship side QPR, accumulating over 220 appearances and scoring 30 goals for the club since joining in 2017.
Following an extensive trial, Ilias Chair has been sentenced to a year in prison after being found guilty in Belgium of assaulting a man and fracturing his skull with a rock.
On Friday, February 23, as reported by BELGA, Chair was sentenced by an Antwerp court to two years in jail, with one year suspended, and was ordered to pay €15,864 (£13,546) in damages and interest to his victim, a lorry driver.
The assault occurred during a mass confrontation among the traveling tourists as they attempted to board their coach in the French town of Bazeilles. The lorry driver, referred to in court as Niels T, was hospitalized after suffering a fractured skull and losing consciousness.
The court heard that Niels still suffers from his injuries today. Chair denied the charges but was identified in court as the individual who had struck a rock at Niels T’s head.
Two other men were also found guilty at the trial and sentenced to six and 12 months in prison, respectively.
