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| Dieudonne M'bala M'bala (AFP Photo/Loic Venance) |
Amid a crackdown
on hate speech and “condoning terrorism” online, a French court has
handed out a two-month suspended prison sentence to prominent comedian
and political activist Dieudonne over a Facebook post in the wake of
Charle Hebdo attack.
The 49-year-old
Dieudonne M’bala M’bala, or simply Dieudonne has been convicted
for being “an apologist for terrorism” over a Facebook post he
made following attacks in France that killed 17 people.
“I feel like Charlie Coulibaly,” he wrote in a coined
phrase on Facebook on January 11, four days after the Charlie
Hebdo attack, allegedly making a mockery of the slogan “Je
suis Charlie” (I am Charlie) a global rallying cry against
extremism. The second part of the phrase mimicked the name of
Amedy Coulibaly, the gunman who killed four people at a Paris
kosher supermarket.
Prosecutor Annabelle Philippe argued that Dieudonne is guilty of
presenting “in a favourable light the acts committed by Amedy
Coulibaly.”
“The feeling of hostility towards the Jewish community that
Dieudonne kept up in front of a public attracted by his charisma
increases his responsibility,” the court argued. The
prosecution was seeking a harsher sentence of up to 7 years in
prison and a potential 100,000 euro ($106,000) fine.
Dieudonne, who was not present at court during the sentencing on
Wednesday, was also fined €30,000 ($35,000), which, if not paid,
will result in a prison term.
According to French daily, 20minutes, Dieudonne argued in court
on January 28 and February 4 that he has condemned the Charlie
Hebdo attacks “without restraint and without any
ambiguity.” Dieudonne also claimed at the hearing that he
wished to participate in the march in Paris against the
extremism, but the Interior Ministry had requested that he be
“excluded” and treated as a “terrorist.”
French authorities accused of double standards over hate speech crackdown
The comic’s case was the most prominent case of several dozen
investigated in France in connection to hate speech and
allegations of “condoning terrorism.”
The comedian is known for his extreme right views and has been
credited with inventing a Nazi-like hand salute called the
“quenelle.” He had previously been found guilty seven
times for slander or anti-Semitic statements. A Paris court has
also recently banned the sale of a DVD featuring Dieudonne on the
grounds that it is anti-Semitic, condones the Holocaust and
“collaboration with the enemy”.
Amid fierce debates in France over whether the authorities are
guilty of double standards on freedom of speech, France blocked five websites suspected of condoning
terrorism and spreading hate speech earlier in March. It marked
the first usage of new anti-terrorism powers approved by
parliament last year that allow such bans without court orders.
France is still on high alert under Operation Sentinel which
mobilized over 10,000 troops on French soil to protect 682
sensitive sites across the country including religious sites,
railway stations, airports, and tourist attractions in the wake
of a rise in religious tensions following the Charlie Hebdo
attacks in January.
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