French prosecutors seek 10 months in prison for Algerian footballer Yahaya Atal on charges of “praising terrorism” and “inciting hatred and violence on the basis of a specific religion.”
The trial of Algerian international footballer Yahaya Atal, who plays for French club Nice, took place on Monday amid widespread political and media attention in France and Algeria. The court announced that the verdict would be delivered on January 3, 2024.
The case centers on a 35-second video that Atal, 28, posted on his social media account showing a religious leader calling for a “black day for the Jews” at the start of the Israeli assault on Gaza. Atal, who is from Algeria’s Kabyle region, defended himself in court by saying that he had not watched the entire video and had reposted it without knowing what it contained.
Deputy prosecutor Meggy Chtitia argued that “these are serious facts that should not be taken lightly. Sharing a video means… highlighting the comments” that are written.
Atal told the court that he “thought it (the video) contained a message of peace to the people who are suffering in this war,” adding that “I shared this video without watching it to the end.”
His lawyer, Antoine Vay, said that Atal “sent a message of support to the Palestinians in Gaza. For him, this is peace, and he is not the only one.”
However, in the indictment issued by the deputy prosecutor, “there is nothing at any time during these 35 seconds that has anything to do with peace,” considering that a suspended prison sentence “could be a warning, in order to encourage the player to think now before making any publication in the future.” She also requested that the sentence be published for one month on the Algerian international player’s Instagram account.
The presence of diplomats from the Algerian embassy in France marked the trial. Algerians living in Nice also demonstrated in front of the court to express their condemnation of his questioning. The Algerian political authorities have followed the case of Atal since its inception, in an indication that the file has taken on political dimensions. Algeria has announced its opposition to the Israeli aggression on Gaza and has called for the accountability of Israeli officials before the International Criminal Court.
After the prosecution’s motions were issued, Ramy Bensebaini, the defender of German club Borussia Dortmund, posted a photo of himself with Atal on one of his social media accounts, accompanied by a heart and two hands expressing his absolute solidarity with him. Several players in the Algerian league also published messages of support and solidarity.
After the French police arrested the player, on reserve last month, Atal was referred to the office of the prosecutor before being summoned to the criminal court in Nice. Pending the verdict, he was placed under judicial supervision with a bail of 80,000 euros and banned from leaving French territory, except for reasons related to his professional activity as a professional footballer.
Atal quickly deleted the post and apologized, but his club decided on October 18, 2023, to suspend him until further notice, while the disciplinary committee of the French League suspended him for seven matches on October 26. According to French media reports, Nice has decided to sell him in the winter transfer market, while Algerian newspapers have written that Turkish club Besiktas wants to sign him.
An investigation was opened into the case on October 16, after the prosecutor’s office was notified by the city of Nice, on charges of “praising terrorism” and “inciting hatred and violence on the basis of a specific religion.”
Voices have been raised, including that of Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi, to denounce the video posted by Atal, which shows preacher Mahmoud Al-Hassanat making, according to what was alleged, antisemitic statements and calling for violence, before he deleted it and apologized.
Atal’s apology stated: “I know that my post shocked many people, and that was not my intention, and I apologize for that.” He added that he wanted “to clarify my position without any ambiguity: I strongly condemn all forms of violence anywhere in the world, and I support all victims.”
Other footballers have been heavily criticized for supporting the Palestinian people, such as former French international striker Karim Benzema, who has Algerian roots.
