Sentenced for Facebook post after Paris attacks

French comedian Dieudonne has been found guilty of ‘condoning terrorism’ over a Facebook comment he made in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks.

The stand-up has been given a two-month suspended sentence in a ruling sure to reignite the debate over freedom of speech in France.

Following the attacks which left 17 victims dead, Dieudonne – who has been in constant dispute with authorities over comments deemed antisemitic – expressed some empathy with one of the killers by posting: ‘I feel like Charlie Coulibaly.’

Coulibaly killed a police officer on January 8 and four people at a kosher supermarket on January 9; the day after ten people were killed by other terrorists at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

The comedian, whose full name is Dieudonne M'bala M'bala, had faced the possibility of a jail term of up to seven years and a potential €100,000 fine.

Published: 18 Mar 2015