PARIS, France (Reuters) -- A French court on Thursday ruled in favor of a satirical weekly that had printed cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, rejecting accusations by Islamic groups who said the publication incited hatred against Muslims.

The court said the cartoons published by the weekly Charlie Hebdo were covered by freedom of expression laws and did not constitute an attack on Islam in general but fundamentalists.

The cartoons, originally published in 2005 by a Danish daily, provoked violent protests in Asia, Africa and the Middle East that left 50 people dead. Several European publications reprinted them as an affirmation of free speech.

The public prosecutor had argued the cartoons were protected by freedom of speech and recommended that the case be dismissed.

With France's presidential election only a month away, the court case has been overshadowed by election politics. Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, the conservative frontrunner, his centrist rival Francois Bayrou and Socialist party leader Francois Hollande have all spoken out in defense of the weekly.