Youcef Atal, Algerian international footballer for OGC Nice, was sentenced to eight months in prison on Wednesday January 3 for sharing a video calling for “ a dark day for the Jews “, against a backdrop of conflict between Israel and Hamas.
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Prosecuted for provoking hatred on grounds of religion, Youcef Atal will also have to pay a fine of 45,000 euros and publish this conviction at his own expense in the regional daily. Nice morning and in the newspaper The world, specified the Nice criminal court in its judgment. During the trial at the Nice criminal court on December 18, the prosecution requested a ten-month suspended prison sentence.
Summoned to the national team, with a view to the African Cup of Nations (CAN) which begins on January 13 in Ivory Coast, the 27-year-old player was not present for the deliberations.
Youcef Atal has not played with Nice since this publication
Five days after the unprecedented attacks by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas against Israel on October 7and the start of Israel’s bombing of Gaza, Atal shared on Instagram the video of a preacher, Mahmoud Al Hasanat.
The latter first evokes, moved to tears, the fate of the children of Gaza under the bombs. Then he hardens his tone and calls on God to send “ a dark day for the Jews » and « accompany the hand » of the inhabitants of Gaza if they “ throw the stone “.
Youcef Atal was in Algeria, with the national team, when he shared this video. Warned by OGC Nice of the controversial nature of the comments, he withdrew it the next day, with a message of apology. In court, Atal apologized again, repeating over and over again that he had wanted to send “ a message of peace » and that he had not watched the video to the end before sharing it.
Youcef Atal has not played with Nice since this publication, suspended first “ until further notice » by his club, then for seven matches by the LFP disciplinary committee, a sanction now served.
Also read our file:The Israeli-Palestinian conflict