Algerian and Ligue 1 Nice footballer Youcef Atal went on trial in France on Monday over an Instagram video he posted relating to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The French League player is being accused of inciting hatred after the video posted contained a Palestinian cleric Mahmoud Al Hasanat allegedly threatening Israel with a “black day”
The video was posted on Atal’s 3.2 million-follower Instagram account, just after the attack on October 7 that left 1,139 people dead.
In an excerpt of the video that Atal posted, the preacher began by discussing the situation of the children in Gaza.
Prosecutors claimed to have discovered a video extract in which he prayed for God to “send the Jews a black day” and to “steady the hands” of Gaza residents in case they were to “throw stones.”
Although Atal quickly removed the post and apologized, the 27-year-old defender was suspended by his team while prosecutors looked into the event for possible “justification of terrorism.”
However, after viewing the video and speaking with the player, they decided to withdraw the investigation approach and accused him of “incitement to religious hatred.”
The player is the target of two associations’ civil lawsuits: the Jewish Observatory of France and the International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism (LICRA).
Atal faces a maximum term of one year in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros ($49,000) if proven guilty.
He has been placed under court surveillance and is only permitted to travel to other countries to play professional football.
Aside from his suspension “until further notice,” the professional football league has penalised him for seven games.
Atal’s Algerian teammates begged for forgiveness, claiming he had issued an apology and hadn’t watched the entire video before sharing it.
On October 7, Hamas launched unprecedented strikes on Israel, sparking the worst Gaza war in history.
According to the latest Israeli numbers, the group killed 1,139 individuals, largely civilians, and captured about 250 more.
According to the health ministry in the zone controlled by Hamas, Israel’s war in Gaza has claimed the lives of about 19,000 individuals.