MEPs vote to strip immunity
Le Pen may face race charges
Marine Le Penn, the French far right MEP, may soon face
charges in court after MEPs in the European Parliament's legal affairs
committee voted overwhelmingly to lift her immunity from prosecution.
It is understood that only one deputy voted for her to retain her immunity in the committee's secret vote.
The parliament will vote on the decision in Strasbourg, 3 July.
The leader of the Front National compared Muslim praying in the streets to Nazi occupation at a party rally in December 2010. "For those who want to talk a lot about World War II, if it's about occupation, then we could also talk about (Muslim prayers in the streets)," she said. "There may not be any tanks or soldiers, but it is nevertheless an occupation."
“Marine Le Pen is an extremist right wing politician who has campaigned fervently against the EU, but who now wants the EU to protect her from her own country’s prosecuting system,” said Sajjad Karim MEP (ECR, UK), the Conservative's spokesman on legal affairs.
Karim added, "There is a red line between freedom of speech and inciting racial hatred."
The British deputy, who is also vice-chair of the parliament's intergroup on anti-racism and diversity, criticised the far right leader, "Using Nazi occupation in France as a comparison to Muslims praying on the street is appalling, insulting and highly inflammatory on so many levels. Her remarks do the complete opposite of trying to forge a social fabric of peace, understanding and respect."
The founder of the Front National, Jean-Marie Le Pen, and father of Marine, once described the holocaust as a "detail of history."
It is understood that only one deputy voted for her to retain her immunity in the committee's secret vote.
The parliament will vote on the decision in Strasbourg, 3 July.
The leader of the Front National compared Muslim praying in the streets to Nazi occupation at a party rally in December 2010. "For those who want to talk a lot about World War II, if it's about occupation, then we could also talk about (Muslim prayers in the streets)," she said. "There may not be any tanks or soldiers, but it is nevertheless an occupation."
“Marine Le Pen is an extremist right wing politician who has campaigned fervently against the EU, but who now wants the EU to protect her from her own country’s prosecuting system,” said Sajjad Karim MEP (ECR, UK), the Conservative's spokesman on legal affairs.
Karim added, "There is a red line between freedom of speech and inciting racial hatred."
The British deputy, who is also vice-chair of the parliament's intergroup on anti-racism and diversity, criticised the far right leader, "Using Nazi occupation in France as a comparison to Muslims praying on the street is appalling, insulting and highly inflammatory on so many levels. Her remarks do the complete opposite of trying to forge a social fabric of peace, understanding and respect."
The founder of the Front National, Jean-Marie Le Pen, and father of Marine, once described the holocaust as a "detail of history."
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