Algerian international footballer Youcef Atal has been given an eight-month suspended prison sentence and fined 45,000 euros ($49,000) by a court in Nice, France, for a message posted on social networks about the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
He will also have to pay for the details of his conviction to be published in the regional daily Nice-Matin and the national newspaper Le Monde, and for them to be visible for a month on his Instagram page.
The day after the deadly 7 October, Atal republished a 35-second video of a Palestinian preacher calling on God to send “a black day on the Jews”, French newspaper Nice-Matin reported.
The court ruled that the publication on social networks provoked hatred for religious reasons.
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Defender Atal, who has played for Nice since 2018, was suspended by the Ligue 1 club in October after the media post, which he deleted.
Youcef Atal has appealed against the eight-month suspended prison sentence and €45,000 fine handed down by the Nice criminal court “for inciting hatred on 3 January”, reports RMC Sport. The Algerian international had shared a video to show his support for the Palestinian cause in conflict with Israel. The video caused quite a stir. The player initially deleted the video from his Instagram account before apologising.
Currently training with Algeria for the 2023 African Cup of Nations, Atal has been suspended by OGC Nice until further notice. His contract with the Aiglons expires in June.
