(13 Nov 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris, France – 13 November 2024
1. Courthouse entrance
2. Marine Le Pen’s lawyer Rodolphe Bosselut entering courthouse
3. France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen entering courthouse
4. SOUNDBITE (French) Marine Le Pen, former leader of far-right National Rally political party:
“I think the prosecutors will try to defend the cause they initiated ten years ago. They have to justify this procedure, which has appeared more than a little shaky over the last month and a half.”
5. Various of Le Pen in the elevator
6. Various of Le Pen talking with National Rally Vice-President Louis Aliot
7. Various of Le Pen and Aliot entering courtroom
8. Former National Rally Treasurer Wallerand de Saint-Just (left) talking with former National Rally Member of the European Parliament Marie-Christine Arnautu (centre) and former EU parliamentary aide Gérald Gérin (right)
9. Arnautu and Gérin entering courtroom
10. Long-time bodyguard of Le Pen’s father and former EU parliamentary aide Thierry Légier entering courtroom
11. Reporters outside courtroom
12. Various of police outside courtroom
13. Various of courthouse exteriors
STORYLINE:
France’s leading far-right figure Marine Le Pen arrived at court on Wednesday as a case against her and the party continues.
Le Pen has focused all her energy in recent weeks fighting what she claims are unfair accusations that her National Rally party embezzled European Parliament funds.
The former National Rally leader is now facing a crucial moment in the high-profile trial where her eligibility to run for president in 2027 is at stake.
Le Pen is anticipating a guilty verdict, as prosecutors wrap up their case Wednesday and lay out their proposed sentence.
The trial is scheduled to finish Nov. 27, with a verdict at a later date.
Le Pen is among 25 National Rally officials accused of having used money intended for European Union parliamentary aides to instead pay staff who worked for the party between 2004 and 2016, in violation of the 27-nation bloc’s regulations.
The National Rally was called the National Front at the time.
Arriving at court on Wednesday, Le Pen appeared resigned to hear prosecutors’ expected request for a guilty verdict.
They “have to justify this procedure, which has appeared more than a little shaky over the last month and a half,” she said.
If convicted, Le Pen and her co-defendants could face up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to 1 million euros ($1.1 million) each.
But in recent days, Le Pen’s biggest concern has focused on the court’s ability to impose a period of ineligibility to run for office.
A similar case involving a French centrist party ended up with fines and suspended prison sentences earlier this year.
Le Pen was runner-up to President Emmanuel Macron in the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections, and her party’s electoral support has grown in recent years.
AP video shot by Marine Lesprit
Production by Sylvie Corbet
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