Prosecutors probe French comedian over remarks inciting terrorism

Xinhua

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French prosecutors on Monday launched investigations on French controversial comedian Dieudonne for "inciting terrorism" after he posted a Facebook comment that could be interpreted as a sympathising message to one of last week' s shooters in Paris.

"Tonight, as far as I'm concerned, I feel like Charlie Coulibaly," the comedian wrote in reference to one of the gunmen who shot dead a policewoman and four hostages at a kasher supermarket last week, Amedy Coulibaly.

Speaking to the news channel BFMTV, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls stressed "racism, anti-semitism and inciting terrorism are not opinions and should not be confused with freedom of expression."

"A state of law has to launch a merciless fight against terrorism, against all violence but also against the word that kills and hate speech," he added.

Denouncing "despicable words," Bernard Cazeneuve, Interior Minister said a person inciting for terrorism risks to be sentenced for seven years in jail and pay a 100,000-euro (118,400 U.S. dollars) fine.

Last year, Paris court banned Dieudonne show for its anti-Semitic language and considered it as a threat to public order. Enditem