Judge Who Barred Le Pen Receives Police Protection

The judge who disqualified right wing leader Marine Le Pen from France’s 2027 presidential race is now under police protection following death threats and the online exposure of her home address, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Bénédicte de Perthuis, who led the three-judge panel that convicted Le Pen of embezzling EU funds and imposed a five-year ban on her candidacy, became the target of doxxing after delivering the verdict on Monday. In response, authorities have assigned her police protection both at her residence and workplace.

De Perthuis has also been targeted with threats on social media, with her photo circulating widely on X and far-right platforms.

Paris police confirmed that an investigation into the threats is underway but referred further inquiries to the Paris prosecutor’s office, which has not yet responded.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, President Emmanuel Macron addressed Le Pen’s conviction for the first time, emphasizing that France’s justice system operates independently and that its rulings must be respected as a cornerstone of democracy, according to government spokeswoman Sophie Primas.

Le Pen has distanced herself from the backlash against the judiciary, rejecting claims that she incited it. She has also denounced the threats against De Perthuis and vowed to challenge her conviction through legal channels.

Meanwhile, Christophe Soulard, president of France’s highest judicial body, the Court of Cassation, expressed deep concern over the situation. In an interview with Le Monde published Wednesday, he warned that the threats against the judiciary signal a troubling decline in France’s democratic stability.