Post date: Jan 09, 2014 7:56:54 PM
French top court upholds ban on opening show of Dieudonne, a comedian accused by the government of insulting the memory of Holocaust victims.
PARIS, FRANCE (JANUARY 9, 2014) (REUTERS) - A top French court upheld a ban on Thursday (January 9) of a show by a comedian whom the government accuses of insulting the memory of Holocaust victims.
The Council of State, France's highest administrative court, issued its last-minute decision just one hour before the show by Dieudonne M'bala M'bala was to begin in the western city of Nantes.The top court's ruling came after Interior Minister Manuel Valls, who has been leading the effort to stop Dieudonne's national tour, appealed a decision by a lower administrative court that rejected local authorities' efforts to ban the show.
In its ruling, the Council of State -- which has previously ruled against bans onDieudonne performances -- cited the risk to public order were the show to proceed.
One of Dieudonne's lawyers, Jacques Verdier, has argued that a ban on his client performing would breach his freedom of speech.
Dieudonne, 46, has been repeatedly fined for hate speech and local authorities inNantes had barred the show following the lead of other cities that did the same on the grounds of risk to public order.
The appeals court's decision validated the efforts of Valls and President Francois Hollande, who had argued for regional prefects to remain "on alert and inflexible" in determining whether or not to ban the shows.