EU lawmakers vote to lift Marine Le Pen's immunity over tweets

[webfact]

EU lawmakers vote to lift Marine Le Pen's immunity over tweets

By Francesco Guarascio

REUTERS

 

FILE PHOTO:Marine Le Pen, French National Front (FN) political party leader and candidate for French 2017 presidential election, attends a political rally in Clairvaux-les-Lacs, France, February 17, 2017. REUTERS/Robert Pratta/File Photo

 

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union lawmakers "overwhelmingly" voted on Tuesday to lift the EU parliamentary immunity of French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen for tweeting pictures of Islamic State violence.

 

Le Pen, a member of the European parliament, is under investigation in France for posting three graphic images of IS executions on Twitter in 2015, including the beheading of the United States journalist James Foley.

 

Responding to a request from the French judiciary, the EU lawmakers in the legal affairs committee voted to lift her immunity, EU officials said. The committee's decision will have to be backed by the whole parliament in a second vote, possibly this week.

 

Le Pen's immunity shields her from prosecution; lifting it would permit legal action against her. The offence being considered is "publishing violent images," which under certain circumstances can carry a penalty of three years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros ($79,650).

 

MEPs "overwhelmingly voted to lift Le Pen's immunity," said eurosceptic 5 Star Movement lawmaker Laura Ferrara. A Parliament official said 18 lawmakers voted in favour of removing Le Pen's immunity and three voted against.

 

Le Pen could not immediately be reached for comment.

 

"Showing and naming the horror of Islamism allow us to fight against it," Florian Philippot, the vice president of Le Pen's far-right National Front party, told Reuters.

 

Le Pen, locked in an increasingly tight three-way race to succeed Francois Hollande this spring, has already seen her earnings as MEP cut for a different case involving alleged misuse of EU funds.

 

She has denounced the legal proceedings against her as political interference in the campaign, where she is the lead candidate, and called for a moratorium on judicial investigations until the election period has passed.

 

Polls say Le Pen should win the first of the two election rounds but lose in the runoff. They also show that her legal battles seem to have little effect on her supporters.

 

Le Pen's immunity has been lifted before, in 2013. She was then prosecuted in 2015 with "incitement to discrimination over people's religious beliefs", for comparing Muslims praying in public to the Nazi occupation of France during World War Two. Prosecutors eventually recommended the charges be dropped.

 

($1 = 0.9416 euros)

 

(Additional reporting by Chine Labbe and Yves Clarisse in Paris; editing by Larry King)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-01

 

[smedly]

the EU dirty tricks department is in full force, if anything is going to boost her ratings this will

 

she had no mud on her until the mud keepers started to throw it - and they have lots of it

[Allstars]

10 minutes ago, webfact said:

Le Pen, a member of the European parliament, is under investigation in France for posting three graphic images of IS executions on Twitter in 2015, including the beheading of the United States journalist James Foley.

 

And any still think it is only Thailand that doesn't want the truth to be revealed, so they can keep their snouts in the through?

 

 

Wilders in The Netherlands is another fine example of getting prosecuted for speaking the naked truth.

 

[the guest]

Europe is just as corrupt as Thailand that is for sure!

[daveAustin]

50 minutes ago, Allstars said:

And any still think it is only Thailand that doesn't want the truth to be revealed, so they can keep their snouts in the through?

It's not just that. Problem with the EU Europeans of today is that they are just so sickeningly PC that they don't want people seeing what bad Muslims do to good people. They are a meek, fragile bunch scared of their own shadow.

[phantomfiddler]

Sickening that someone could be prosecuted for showing the truth ! Europe has lost the plot, and will lose the nation.

[brewsterbudgen]

Would be nice to see her locked up[emoji4]

[Dagnabbit]

They want rid of her, which is obviously going to make her more popular.

 

 

[Buckwheat Flour]

As an outsider,  I don't understand why "publishing violent images,"  that actually happened is considered a grievous offense. Moreover shielding the population from the truth, only disarms their will to resist such violence.   But again I am uneducated simple minded outsider, who doesn't understand the European mind.  

[daveAustin]

2 hours ago, Labor Intensive said:

But again I am uneducated simple minded outsider, who doesn't understand the European mind.  

See post #5

[daveAustin]

4 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Would be nice to see her locked up

What was that about opinions and bottoms? 

[jesimps]

4 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Would be nice to see her locked up

And all the muslim beheaders go free I suppose.

 

[brewsterbudgen]

9 minutes ago, jesimps said:

And all the muslim beheaders go free I suppose.

 

Are they French?  Of course I don't want them to "go free".  What a ridiculous thing to say.  But if islamophobic fascists like Le Pen who just want to inflame the situation were locked up it would be better for society.

[simple1]

Le Pen broke French law by posting uncensored images of victims of extreme violence, which also offended the families of the dead. She had no right to do, so possibly facing prosecution by French authorities; fair enough as she is not above the law of France.

Edited March 1, 2017 by simple1

[elgordo38]

6 hours ago, Allstars said:

 

And any still think it is only Thailand that doesn't want the truth to be revealed, so they can keep their snouts in the through?

 

 

Wilders in The Netherlands is another fine example of getting prosecuted for speaking the naked truth.

 

The Philippines as well. If you can't stop them at the ballot box you bounce them with the legal system as everybody has skeletons in their closet. Its all about control of the masses today. Arizona is passing a law that if they catch you demonstrating they can seize your property. If they can attack your property and cause you to lose your employment its game set and match for them. Your done. And the legal system is only to willing to accomadate them. 

[lannarebirth]

3 minutes ago, simple1 said:

Le Pen broke French law by posting uncensored images of victims of extreme violence, which also offended the families of the dead. She had no right to do, so possibly facing prosecution by French authorities - fair enough.

You can't fight fascists by being even crazier than they are. Might what she Tweeted be in poor taste or offensive to some people? Almost certainly. But frivolous attacks on people exercising their right to free speech will only make martyrs of them and bring about the opposite of what her detractors would want.

[stevenl]

6 hours ago, Allstars said:

 

And any still think it is only Thailand that doesn't want the truth to be revealed, so they can keep their snouts in the through?

 

 

Wilders in The Netherlands is another fine example of getting prosecuted for speaking the naked truth.

 

No, he gets prosecuted for violating the law.

[stevenl]

1 minute ago, lannarebirth said:

You can't fight fascists by being even crazier than they are. Might what she Tweeted be in poor taste or offensive to some people? Almost certainly. But frivolous attacks on people exercising their right to free speech will only make martyrs of them and bring about the opposite of what her detractors would want.

In Europe in general there is free speech but within certain limitations.

[lannarebirth]

1 minute ago, stevenl said:

In Europe in general there is free speech but within certain limitations.

How would one know how too regard someone if that someone were not free to speak their idiocy?

[ilostmypassword]

24 minutes ago, simple1 said:

Le Pen broke French law by posting uncensored images of victims of extreme violence, which also offended the families of the dead. She had no right to do, so possibly facing prosecution by French authorities; fair enough as she is not above the law of France.

I have no use for Le Pen, but it's a bad and dangerous law. Were the images she posted untrue? By the same token, this law gives the French government the right to prosecute people for showing horrific images depicting the results of its bad behavior. 

[Naam]

3 hours ago, Labor Intensive said:

As an outsider,  I don't understand why "publishing violent images,"  that actually happened is considered a grievous offense. Moreover shielding the population from the truth, only disarms their will to resist such violence.   But again I am uneducated simple minded outsider, who doesn't understand the European mind.  

the unelected clowns in Brussels do not represent the European mind! generalisations like yours are evidence that you are indeed an

Quote

uneducated simple minded outsider

 

[ilostmypassword]

 

3 hours ago, Labor Intensive said:

As an outsider,  I don't understand why "publishing violent images,"  that actually happened is considered a grievous offense. Moreover shielding the population from the truth, only disarms their will to resist such violence.   But again I am uneducated simple minded outsider, who doesn't understand the European mind.  

7 minutes ago, Naam said:

the unelected clowns in Brussels do not represent the European mind! generalisations like yours are evidence that you are indeed an  

3 hours ago, Labor Intensive said:

 uneducated simple minded outsider,  

 

What's truly simple minded is denouncing someone who actually agrees with you. If you're dyslexic, I apologize.

[Aforek]

I hope that , because her immunity  is lifted, that they will judge her for the EU 400000 euros she used to pay her collaboraters in her FN party

every day she has more and more problems with justice

[stevenl]

27 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

How would one know how too regard someone if that someone were not free to speak their idiocy?

So you don't know how to regard Le Pen, Wilders, Petry, etc?

[lannarebirth]

4 minutes ago, stevenl said:

So you don't know how to regard Le Pen, Wilders, Petry, etc?

 

I don't tend to follow the politics of countries not my own, unless their actions (not speech) would seem to have negative consequences beyond their borders. My comments in this thread were more of a general nature, as I was under the impression that Europeans enjoyed the same freedoms as Americans do with regard to speech. I was somewhat surprised that that is not the case.

[Naam]

21 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

 

What's truly simple minded is denouncing someone who actually agrees with you. If you're dyslexic, I apologize.

he does not agree with me pertaining to "European mind". period!

[simple1]

14 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

I have no use for Le Pen, but it's a bad and dangerous law. Were the images she posted untrue? By the same token, this law gives the French government the right to prosecute people for showing horrific images depicting the results of its bad behavior. 

Would you be OK for a politician, in a disagreement with a journalist, to support their argument by posting an uncensored image in the public domain of a loved one who had, for example, been decapitated, without your permission? Besides the disregard for French law, IMO it is a flagrant abuse of the victim's families right for privacy for which Le Pen should be prosecuted.

[lannarebirth]

3 minutes ago, simple1 said:

Would you be OK for a politician, in a disagreement with a journalist, to support their argument by posting an uncensored image in the public domain of a loved one who had, for example, been decapitated, without your permission? Besides the disregard for French law, IMO it is a flagrant abuse of the victim's families right for privacy for which Le Pen should be prosecuted.

What's interesting to me is that here is an article concerning charges being levied against someone (re) posting pictures of an execution. Where is the article about the leveling of charges against the executioners? People need to regain some perspective on the hierarchy of sins.

[simple1]

1 hour ago, lannarebirth said:

What's interesting to me is that here is an article concerning charges being levied against someone (re) posting pictures of an execution. Where is the article about the leveling of charges against the executioners? People need to regain some perspective on the hierarchy of sins.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to look at the circumstance of why Le Pen took the action she did. If an uncensored photo were posted, without my permission, of a loved one, for political purpose, I for one would wish to see her punished according to law.

 

Islamist committing murder overseas are very rarely charged by the Courts, but targeted for killing by the military.

Edited March 1, 2017 by simple1

[lannarebirth]

6 hours ago, simple1 said:

Perhaps it would be a good idea to look at the circumstance of why Le Pen took the action she did. If an uncensored photo were posted, without my permission, of a loved one, for political purpose, I for one would wish to see her punished according to law.

 

Islamist committing murder overseas are very rarely charged by the Courts, but targeted for killing by the military.

Yours sounds like a civil case rather than a criminal case.