Marine Le Pen sentenced for misappropriation of funds and placed under electronic surveillance
French justice has found Marine Le Pen guilty of breach of trust and imposed an electronic bracelet on her, a decision that could complicate her campaign for the 2027 presidential election.
Marine Le Pen sentenced for misappropriation of funds and placed under electronic surveillance
A Paris appeals court found far-right leader Marine Le Pen guilty of breach of trust on Tuesday and ordered that she be subjected to electronic surveillance as part of her sentence.
The court imposed a four-year prison sentence on the MEP and former presidential candidate, with two years suspended, a fine of 100,000 euros and ineligibility for five years with a suspended sentence. The latter measure will apply only if the conviction becomes final.
The electronic surveillance measure is a common practice in France, particularly to alleviate the country's overcrowded prisons. According to French law, home detention requires a person to wear an electronic ankle bracelet and prevents them from leaving their home or another designated place of residence, except during hours authorised by the judge.
Le Pen, 57, said she would run for the next year's presidential election regardless of this verdict, which is possible under French law. She said she did not expect to wear an electronic bracelet at all, because she believes the Court of Cassation, France's highest court, will ultimately acquit her on appeal.
The Court of Cassation had previously indicated that it would be able to rule before the presidential election. If her appeal fails, Le Pen could be forced to wear the device during her campaign.
France will hold the first round of its next presidential election on 18 April. A possible second round would take place two weeks later, on 2 May.
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy wore an electronic ankle bracelet last year after being sentenced to one year in prison in a corruption case. French media reported at the time that he was authorised to leave his home between 8am and 8pm.
Source: PBS NewsHour
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)