Le Pen slams conviction as 'political decision', vows to fight

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
6 Apr 2025 18:29

Marine Le Pen vows to not "give up" amid her conviction for fraud, during a rally organized and attended by her party and its supporters.

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French far-right leader Marine Le Pen delivers her speech during the French far-right party national rally near the parliament in Paris, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP)

France’s far-right leader, Marine Le Pen, on Sunday dismissed her recent conviction as a "political decision" and pledged to continue her political battle, despite being found guilty of embezzlement and banned from running in future elections.

"I won't give up," Le Pen told a crowd of flag-waving National Rally members and supporters gathered at Place Vauban in Paris, with the golden dome of the Hôtel National des Invalides serving as a striking backdrop. She described the ruling as a "political decision" and condemned what she called a "witch hunt" against her party.

Le Pen was found guilty of large-scale embezzlement of European parliament funds on April 1 and was sentenced to four years in prison, two of which were suspended and two of which will be served outside of jail while wearing an electronic bracelet, and a fine of 100,000 euros (84,000 dollars).

The judge announced that the French far-right figure had been found guilty of embezzling public funds, while eight other party lawmakers were also convicted and around 12 deputies were found guilty of concealing information, with all verdicts delivered in the same ruling.

However, since her sentencing, Le Pen announced that over 20,000 new members have joined the party since her guilty verdict was announced, with a petition in her support gathering more than 500,000 signatures, in a Friday post on X.

"Since Monday, a huge number of people have expressed their indignation. Half a million signatures on the petition that we launched, more than 20,000 new members of the National Rally," Le Pen's post reads.

The leader of the National Rally Jordan Bardella had earlier announced the launch of a petition against "the dictatorship of judges," and the headline "Support Marine!"