PARIS: French authorities detained a 76-year-old man on Tuesday over a death threat against the judge who presided over the panel that sentenced far-right leader Marine Le Pen to an election ban last week.

The bombshell judgement, which could crush the 56-year-old’s dream of winning the French presidency in 2027, stunned France’s political establishment and infuriated many in her National Rally (RN) party.

Since the conviction, the judges who handed down the decision have received threats, and the head judge Benedicte de Perthuis is under police protection, including increased patrols and regular rounds around her home.

The man being held, “On his X account, he had posted the following: `What this bitch deserves’, along with a photograph of a guillotine,” the public prosecutor’s office said.

Le Pen was handed a partly suspended jail term, a fine of 100,000 euros ($109,000) and an immediate ban on taking part in elections for five years after being convicted for a scheme under which the EU Parliament paid assistants who were actually working for her party.

The court ruled that Le Pen was at the “heart” of the system of embezzlement of public funds. A total of 24 people have been convicted, in addition to her party.

In his reaction to the judgement, President Emmanuel Macron told members of the government that the French judiciary was “independent” and that “judges must be protected”, according to an official present at the meeting last week.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2025