Breaking: French far-right leader Le Pen banned from political office for five years after conviction
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and her eight co-defendants have been found guilty of embezzlement, and the court has imposed a ban on holding public office - to take effect immediately.
The judges in Paris found all of the defendants guilty on Monday morning in a case relating to fake jobs at the European parliament.
The defendants were also sentenced to a peine d'inéligibilité - a bar on holding public office. In Le Pen's case, the five-year ban will take effect immediately.
Le Pen was also sentenced to a four-year jail term, although this will be served in the community through wearing an electronic tag.
"The court took into consideration, in addition to the risk of reoffending, the major disturbance of public order if a person already convicted... was a candidate in the presidential election," said presiding judge Benedicte de Perthuis.
The judges had the choice of either imposing a ban on holding public office effective immediately, or suspended while she appeals. Because appeals can be spun out for several years this effectively amounts to the difference between Le Pen being able to stand in the next presidential election (scheduled for 2027) or not.
On Monday it was announced that Le Pen's ban is "avec exécution immédiate" - and will therefore take effect immediately.
Le Pen still has the option of appealing to the Conseil Constitutionnel, which must consider both the law and the right to "freedom of elections" as enshrined in the French constitution.
The other sentences were;
Thierry Légier, a bodyguard, was sentenced to a 12-month suspended prison term and two-year ban on holding public office
Yann Le Pen, a 12-month suspended prison term and no ban on holding public office
MEP Nicolas Bay, a 12-month prison term - of which six months are suspended and the other six will be served in the community - an €8,000 fine and a three-year ban on holding public office, effective immediately
Local councillor Wallerand de Saint-Juste, a three-year prison term of which two years are suspended and one will be served in the community, a €50,000 fine and a three-year ban on holding public office, effective immediately
MEP Bruno Gollnish, a one-year prison term served in the community with an electronic tag, a €50,000 fine and a five-year ban on holding public office, effective immediately.
The case centred around 'fake jobs' - Le Pen and her co-defendants accused of taking up to €3 million in European Parliament funds for staff members who actually worked for the Rassemblement National party in France, and in some cases had never even visited the European Parliament.
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