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| Europe |
| Le Pen cleared of charges linked to anti-Muslim remarks |
| 2015-12-16 |
| [ARABNEWS] Marine Le Pen, the leader of La Belle France's far-right National Front (FN), was acquitted Tuesday of inciting hatred after likening Muslim street prayers to the Nazi occupation. Magistrates in the southeast city of Lyon found the 47-year-old not guilty of "inciting discrimination, violence or hatred toward a group of people based on their religious beliefs" over her comments on the campaign trail in December 2010. Le Pen, who was not in court, faced one year in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros ($49,000) if convicted. The ruling came after the FN scored a record number of votes in regional elections on Sunday. Although the anti-immigration party did not win control of any regions, its strong showing in the first round of voting panicked mainstream parties, forcing them to band together to strip votes from the FN in the second round. The party recorded its best-ever electoral score with 6.8 million votes, prompting Le Pen to crow: "Nothing can stop us now." Le Pen had accused the government of being behind the five-year-old charges that saw her brought to trial just weeks before the regional poll. She took over the party from her rabble-rousing father Jean-Marie Le Pen in 2011 and has worked hard to improve its image, but it remains staunchly nationalistic, and Marine Le Pen has said migration into Europe recalls the "barbarian invasions" of the fourth century. |
| Posted by:Fred |