Limits of expression Dieudonn\u00e9 M’BALA M’BALA and Ahmed MOUALEK appeared before the Paris Criminal Court on October 19, 2012. The court deliberated on the foundations of “freedom of expression”\u00a0<\/span>as<\/span><\/a>\u00a0these two individuals faced to charges of insult and incitement to racial discrimination for parodying an Annie Cordy song that referenced the\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>ShoAhnanas\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n While France is renowned for its laws protecting freedom of expression, the court had to appreciate the limits and the nobility of this principle in the light of an unfortunate precedent, the Faurisson case, and the condemnation of the comedian for \u201cincitement to racial or religious discrimination, hatred or violence.<\/span><\/p>\n It is important to remember that freedom of expression grants individuals the freedom of opinion and expression to speak or act as they see fit in the news or on stage, on the understanding that they are responsible to the courts in case of defamation or insult.\u00a0Restrictions on free speech exist to combat defamation, slander, incitement to hatred, and incitement to\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>murder\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0.<\/span><\/p>\n However, censorship and Holocaust denial (which is criminally punishable) are exceptions to this freedom.\u00a0Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, which includes the right to be free from interference for his or her opinions and the right to seek , to receive and impart information and ideas through any media\u201d.\u00a0and regardless of borders.<\/span><\/p>\nFreedom of expression and its limits: \u2013<\/span><\/h2>\n
Restrictions on freedom of expression and counter-terrorism measures: \u2013<\/span><\/h2>\n