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dpa
Paris
French right-wing populist Marine Le Pen has been acquitted in a trial over the dissemination of gruesome photos of victims of the Islamic State terrorist group.
The Nanterre court found that the way Le Pen had published the photos online, without distorting them, had an informative purpose, was part of a political protest and contributed to public debate.
The verdict, which was seen by dpa, ruled that criminalizing the publication of the images would be a disproportionate interference in the exercise of freedom of expression, given the context.
The leader of the right-wing National Rally had posted several pictures of Islamic State victims on her Twitter feed at the end of 2015.
The French judiciary then launched an investigation, as the dissemination of images depicting violence that violate human dignity is a criminal offence in France.
If there is a risk that minors will see these images, it is punishable with imprisonment and a hefty fine.
The prosecution had demanded a fine in this case.
In its ruling, the court mentioned that Le Pen had published the pictures shortly after the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris on the Bataclan concert hall, cafes and the Stade de France football stadium, and was thus reacting to a political controversy.
Le Pen had denounced the proceedings against her as a “political trial.”
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05/05/2021
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