Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s far-right, has today appealed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), asking it to intervene in her legal troubles and lift a five-year ban on running for public office.
Appeal Cites “Irreparable Harm” to Rights
Le Pen stated she is turning to the ECHR—an institution she had previously argued France should withdraw from until 2021—for assistance due to the “risk of serious and irreparable harm to her rights and the rights of voters, which would result from the inability to run in upcoming elections,” as reported by Politico.
In March, Le Pen was found guilty of embezzling European Parliament funds and sentenced to a five-year ban from holding public office. This ruling effectively excludes her from the next presidential election, unless an Appeal Court rules in her favor.
Unusual Enforcement of Ban
Typically in France, sentences are temporarily suspended if the convicted individual appeals. However, in Le Pen’s case, the judges made an unusual, though not unprecedented, decision for the verdict to take effect regardless of the appeal.
Le Pen argues that the ban violates several principles of the European Convention on Human Rights, including the presumption of innocence, the right to have a sentence reviewed by a higher court, and the right of voters to freely choose their representatives.
