A Paris appeals court found French far-right leader Marine Le Pen guilty of embezzlement on Tuesday, imposing a 100,000 euro ($114,000) fine and a reduced ban on holding elected office. The court reduced her ban from five years to 45 months, with two-thirds of that period suspended.
Le Pen, 57, must serve one year of her sentence under house arrest with an electronic monitor. This measure is common in France, partly to alleviate prison overcrowding, according to reports. The device requires the wearer to remain in a designated location, with exceptions authorized by a judge.
While the electronic monitoring could complicate a presidential campaign, it does not make it impossible. A specialized judge will determine the specifics of Le Pen's house arrest in the coming weeks or months, including her authorized residence and permitted hours outside the home. French law allows for sentence reductions of up to six months per year, and conditional release is also possible, the appeals court stated.
Le Pen had previously indicated that she would not seek the presidency if required to wear an electronic monitor. She stated that being unable to campaign freely, dependent on a judge's permission for rallies or public appearances, would make a candidacy unfeasible. The timeframe for fitting the monitor could also allow her to be free of it for the final months of the campaign, as France's next presidential election is scheduled for April 18, 2025, with a runoff on May 2.
Similar measures have been applied to other political figures. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy wore an electronic monitor last year after a conviction for corruption. He was granted conditional release after just over three months, which allowed him to remove the device. Reports indicated he had been permitted to leave his home for extended periods, with specific hours authorized for court appearances.