Anti-semitic French comedian Dieudonné was arrested after he seemingly compared himself to the terrorist who murdered four people at a kosher supermarket in Paris last week.
Dieudonné M’Bala M’bala, 48, who was being held for questioning at a Paris police station, could face possible charges of "apology for terrorism".
Paris state prosecutors opened a formal investigation on Monday night into remarks made by the comedian on his Facebook page after the vast "Republican march" in Paris on Sunday.
After mocking the media superlatives about the march, the comedian declared: "As for me, I feel I am Charlie Coulibaly".
Amedy Coulibaly was the man who took hostages and killed four people at the Jewish supermarket in eastern Paris last Friday before being killed by police.
Dieudonné’s comments generated a wave of fury on the internet – including many angry reactions from his own fans on his Facebook page. His statement was withdrawn after less than an hour.
The French interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, called the comment "abject" and asked his officials to investigate whether the comedian should be prosecuted for breaching a French law which forbids "apology for" or encouragement of terrorism.
The Prime Minister Manuel Valls made an impassioned attack on the comedian in the National Assembly on Tuesday. He called him a "peddler of hate and said there should be no confusion between the 'impertinent' satire of Charlie Hebdo and 'anti-semitism, racism and negationism'."
Dieudonné has several convictions for making anti-semitic comments and jokes. He came to international attention 12 months ago after the footballer Nicolas Anelka performed his trademark gesture the "quenelle" during a Premier League match.
Dieudonné’s stage show was banned a year ago, and had to be amended, because it contained "jokes" mocking the Holocaust. He also suggested that a Jewish radio presenter "reminded him of gas chambers".
In an open letter to Cazeneuve the comedian claimed on Tuesday that he had been misunderstood. He said that he, like Charlie Hebdo, was a victim of attempts to deny freedom of speech. In his case, he said, his assailant was the government.
What he had meant to say on Facebook, he said, was that "I am considered like another Amedy Coulibaly when in fact I am no different from Charlie."
His original statement on his Facebook page was as follows:
“After this historic, no legendary, march, a magic moment equal to the Big Bang which created the Universe, or in a smaller (more local) way comparable to the crowning of the (ancient Gaullish king) Vercingétorix, I am going home. Let me say that this evening, as far as I am concerned, I feel I am Charlie Coulibaly."
