Dieudonné faces Swiss legal case for racist comments
The controversial French comedian has already paid tens of thousands in fines for racism and anti-Semitism.
Keystone
Controversial French comedian Dieudonné M'bala M'bala is facing legal proceedings in Geneva, accused of using racist speech during shows he gave in western Switzerland.
This content was published on
1 minute
RTS/jc
He has been summoned to appear before judicial authorities in Geneva on January 17, reports Swiss broadcaster RTS.
A complaint has been brought by the Coordination against Antisemitism and Defamation (CICAD), which says Dieudonné denied the existence of Nazi gas chambers during shows in Nyon and Geneva, violating Swiss criminal laws on racism and anti-Semitism.
“We don’t want Switzerland becoming a playing field for anti-Semites and racists,” CICAD secretary general John Garfinkel told RTS on Saturday evening. He said his organisation hopes to get a conviction.
The comic has a string of convictions for inciting hatred against Jews and is the inventor of the controversial “quenelle” hand gesture. In France and Belgium he has had to pay tens of thousands of Euros in fines for racial slander, defamation and hate speech.
In 2015 the European Court of Human Rights, ruling against Dieudonné, deemed that negationist speech could not be equated with freedom of expression.
More
More
Swiss court judges ‘quenelle’ gesture to be racist
This content was published on
A young man who was photographed using it in front of a Geneva synagogue, along with two companions, was pronounced guilty of racial discrimination by the country’s highest court. A photograph of three young men, including one in military uniform, performing the “quenelle” salute in front of a synagogue in Geneva was published in the…
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
UBS to be closely monitored by the Swiss price watchdog in future
This content was published on
Following the merger of UBS and Credit Suisse, the price watchdog wants to take a closer look at the only remaining major Swiss bank.
Majority of Swiss do not support an increase in defence spending
This content was published on
According to an international poll, 54% of Swiss residents are opposed to more funding for defence, despite the war in Ukraine.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Controversial French comic expected in Switzerland
This content was published on
In a series of events on Thursday, a court in the French city of Nantes, where he was supposed to start his tour that day, first overturned a ban on his performance. The French government, which has accused Dieudonné of insulting the memory of Holocaust victims and threatening public order with anti-Semitic jibes, quickly moved to appeal the decision.…
The legal difficulties of online expression in Switzerland
This content was published on
Drawing the line between freedom of expression and discrimination is a nuanced minefield in the age of social media, as a case in Switzerland shows.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.