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French Far right leader could face trial for her racist remarks

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French Far right leader, Marine Le Pen, could now face criminal charges over allegations of incitement to racial hatred as MEPs in Strasbourg voted overwhelmingly to drop her parliamentary immunity.

The leader of the French National Front party lost her immunity which protected her from an investigation by French authorities who were pursuing a case linked to Ms Le Pen’s speech at a party rally. During her speech to supporters, she likened Muslims praying in the street to the Nazi occupation of France.

North West Conservative and the first British Muslim to be elected to the European Parliament, Sajjad Karim, voted for Le Pen to lose her immunity. He said:

“Marine Le Pen is, and always will be, a polarising politician who seeks only to divide rather than unite. It is disappointing that she tries to hide behind her EU immunity as she espouses anti-EU and anti-immigration sentiments.”

Sajjad Karim, the Conservative legal affairs spokesperson who was involved in Le Pen’s immunity hearing in the legal affairs committee said:

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"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."

Jean-Marie Le Pen, the party's founder and father of Marine Le Pen, is also a source of controversy as he has several convictions of racism and anti-Semitism. 

The current investigation dates back to Marine Le Pen's remarks made on 10th December 2010 when she was a presidential candidate in France's elections. She said:

"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."

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