The provocative French comedian Dieudonné M’bala M’bala stood trial in criminal court on Wednesday over a comment he made lamenting that a prominent Jewish journalist did not die in “the gas chambers,” prosecutors said.
Mr. M’bala M’bala has become an emblem in France of the struggle between upholding the secular republic’s commitment to free speech while maintaining public safety and preventing “hate crimes.”
That tension was once again laid bare after the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, when Mr. M’bala M’bala was detained over comments suggesting that he sympathized with Amedy Coulibaly, the gunman who killed four hostages at a kosher supermarket before being killed by the police.
The case being tried Wednesday against Mr. M’bala M’bala, on charges of inciting racial hatred, dates to 2013 when footage of him taken by a hidden camera was broadcast on France 2, including his comment about the journalist, Patrick Cohen. The comment helped prompt a police investigation and a government ban of his show. France has stringent laws restricting racist speech; if found guilty, he could face one year in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros, or about $51,000.
Mr. M’bala M’bala has been charged nearly 40 times with violating anti-hate laws. In the past, he has sought to circumvent restrictions imposed on him by turning to the Internet and to social media, where he has accumulated a large and loyal following.
