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Rabat – Youcef Atal, the OGC Nice footballer, has been placed in police custody on Friday following a preliminary investigation into charges of “apology for terrorism” stemming from an online post related to the ongoing conflict in Palestine.
The inquiry centers around Atal’s reported sharing of a video on his Instagram account featuring a preacher advocating for a “dark day for the Jews” and expressing a desire that they be unable to “raise their flag in Gaza.”
The post occurred in the context of Israel’s initial responses to Hamas’ October 7 attack. The Algerian international quickly deleted the content and issued an apology, but local authorities, prompted by the prefect and mayor, initiated an investigation.
According to Nice-Matin, Atal is currently being questioned by the judicial police at their offices in the Auvare barracks. The prosecutor has now officially pressed charges of “provocation to racial hatred based on religion.”
The footballer is expected to be brought before the court today. The legal action also comes in the wake of the club’s decision to suspend the 27 year-old defender indefinitely two days following his post.
The prosecutor in Nice had already announced an investigation on October 16, citing charges of “apology for terrorism” and “provocation to hatred or violence based on a specific religion.”
The club defended its decision, stating that it chose to impose immediate sanctions “given the nature and gravity of the shared post.”
