Algerian footballer Youcef Atal has been given an eight-month suspended jail sentence for a social media post on Israel-Hamas conflict.
A Nice right-back, was handed an eight-month suspended prison sentence and fined €45,000 (approximately $49,000) by a French criminal court for 'provoking hatred on grounds of religion', French daily Nice-Matin reported.
Atal, who won the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations with Algeria, shared an Instagram video in October in which a Palestinian preacher prayed to God to send "a black day for the Jews" amid Israel-Hamas conflict.
The Algerian international was in police custody last Thursday in the premises of the Nice judicial police, at the Auvare barracks, for "apology of terrorism and public provocation to hatred or violence", the report said.
However, he was released the next day under judicial supervision, under bail in the amount of 80,000 euros at the end of the presentation. Atal is prohibited from leaving the national territory, with the exception of his activities as a professional footballer.
The 27-year-old, who has been at Nice since 2018, was suspended by the Ligue 1 club in October after the media post and and the French league also banned him for seven matches.
Youcef Atal apologised on Instagram:
At the time, Atal also shared an apology post on Instagram, stating that he intend to hurt no one.
"I am aware that my post shocked many people, which wasn't my intention, and I apologise," 27-year-old Atal said on Instagram at the time.
However, Atal has been named in the 26-player squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations finals. It remains to be seen if Atal will play in the tournament. Algeria will begin their campaign against Angola on January 15th.
