Bob Dylan cleared of 'inciting racial hatred' allegations in France

Bob Dylan has been cleared of violating France's anti-discrimination laws, however Rolling Stone's publisher now faces the same accusations.

The icon had been accused of racism in an interview with Rolling Stone, which was published in France and included bold statements from Dylan on race. The ruling stated that as the interview was conducted in America, it fell outside of French law because Dylan never gave permission for his comments to be printed outside of the US. Now this puts the publisher of the French edition of Rolling Stone in the firing line with officials looking to indict. 

Publisher Michael Birnbaum faces up to a year in jail and a fine of up to €45,000 ($62,000) for printing the comments. So far both Birnbaum and Rolling Stone are yet to comment, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

Dylan's comments that caused the furore are as follows: "Blacks know that some whites didn't want to give up slavery -- that if they had their way, they would still be under the yoke . . ., and they can't pretend they don't know that. If you got a slave master or Klan in your blood, blacks can sense that.

"That stuff lingers to this day. Just like Jews can sense Nazi blood and the Serbs can sense Croatian blood."

Charges were then brought by a Croatian organisation in France filing charges under claims that they incited racial hatred. These are charges that France takes very seriously in legal terms and almost always sees the accused go to trial.