European court rules against French comic

The European Court of Hum-an Rights ruled Tuesday against the controversial French comedian Dieudo-nne M’Bala M’Bala, deciding that freedom of speech did not protect “racist and anti-Semitic performances”.

Dieudonne, as he is commonly known, was prot-esting a fine he received from a French court in 2009 for inviting a Holoc-aust-denier on stage. He was fined 10,000 euros for what that court referred to as “racist insults”. Dieudonne argued the fine amounted to an infringement of his freedom of speech.

During a show in December 2008, Dieud-onne appeared on stage with Holocaust denier Robert Faurisson at the Zenith theatre in Paris and presented him with an award. He later defended himself in court, saying: “It was very funny.” The French judges disagreed, ruling the show had “crossed very far over the line of what is acceptable in humour”.

The European Court’s judges ruled that Dieud-onne’s invitation to Faur-isson was neither “satire nor provocative” but “a demonstration of hate and anti-Semitism”. It amounted to “Holocaust denialism,” the Court added. The Court’s judgement is final. Dieudonne has been repeatedly convicted in France on anti-Semitism charges, and openly campaigns against the “Zionist lobby” which he claims is controlling the world.

He popularised a hand gesture known as the “quenelle”, which was criticised for resembling a Nazi salute. It went viral in 2013 and was used by French footballer Nicolas Anelka during goal celebrations. The European Court of Human Rights has a record of strongly condemning anti-Semit-ism and Holocaust-denial. It is not the only case Dieudonne has pending at the court, with a hearing due over the decision by French authorities to cancel three of his shows.