October 17 – French prosecutors have launched a preliminary investigation into a top-flight footballer on suspicion of “glorifying terrorism” after he shared an allegedly anti-Semitic message on social media relating to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Youcef Atal, an Algerian international who plays for Ligue 1 club Nice, is suspected of sharing a video from a Palestinian preacher on Instagram purportedly calling for violence against the Jews.
The prosecutor’s office said Atal is also being investigated for “public incitement to hatred or violence because of a particular religion.”
Football officials, politicians, a Jewish group and the mayor of Nice have all condemned the message, which Atal deleted before apologising.
The Nice prosecutor’s office confirmed in a statement it was investigating Atal under laws covering the “glorification of terrorism” after being notified by local politicians.
The French Football Federation (FFF) said its ethics committee would investigate the player, with FFF president Philippe Diallo denouncing the contents of the post.
OGC Nice “is taking the situation very seriously and plans to meet with Youcef as soon as he returns from international duty,” a club source told AFP.
Atal responded to the criticism on Sunday, telling his Instagram followers he would “never support a message of hate”, without explaining why he had shared the video.
The 27-year-old won the Africa Cup of Nations with Algeria in 2019 and on Monday played for his country in a friendly against Egypt in Abu Dhabi.
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