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French comedian arrested for inciting terrorism

Xinhua, January 14, 2015 Adjust font size:

A controversial French comedian was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly inciting terrorism after he posted a Facebook comment that could be interpreted as a sympathizing message to one of last week's shooters in Paris, local media reported.

Dieudonne M'bala M'bala was arrested and placed into custody after Paris prosecutors opened a probe into his "hated speech," the news channel BFMTV said.

"Tonight, as far as I'm concerned, I feel like Charlie Coulibaly," Dieudonne wrote on Sunday, merging the names of Paris-based Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and Amedy Coulibaly, one of the gunmen who shot dead a policewoman and four hostages at a kasher supermarket last week.

According to Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, the comedian is facing an imprisonment of up to seven years and a 100,000 euros (118,000 U.S. dollars) fine.

Dieudonne, 48, has been repeatedly fined for hated speeches and anti-Semitic language. His show, "The Wall," was banned by French court, considering it as a threat to public order. Endi