Overview

• Marine Le Pen has been convicted of embezzling European Parliament funds, resulting in a partly suspended prison sentence, a $108,000 fine, and a five-year political ban.
• Le Pen denounces the conviction as politically motivated, compares her plight to global populist struggles, and vows to appeal the ruling.
• Supporters gathered at a rally in Paris, chanting 'Marine, president,' as Le Pen framed the verdict as a targeted attack on her movement.
• French authorities detained a 76-year-old man for posting a death threat against the judge who presided over Le Pen's trial, prompting heightened security for judicial figures.
• The conviction is part of a broader investigation implicating 24 individuals in misusing EU funds, with Le Pen at the center of the scheme.