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| French far right leader loses immunity, faces charges | French far right leader loses immunity, faces charges |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| French far right leader, Marine Le Pen, could face criminal charges for inciting racism, the BBC has learnt. | French far right leader, Marine Le Pen, could face criminal charges for inciting racism, the BBC has learnt. |
| The French authorities opened a case against Mrs Le Pen in 2011 after she likened the sight of Muslims praying in the streets to the Nazi occupation of France. | The French authorities opened a case against Mrs Le Pen in 2011 after she likened the sight of Muslims praying in the streets to the Nazi occupation of France. |
| As a European Parliament member (MEP), she enjoyed immunity from prosecution. | As a European Parliament member (MEP), she enjoyed immunity from prosecution. |
| However, this protection was removed by a European parliamentary committee in a secret vote this week. | However, this protection was removed by a European parliamentary committee in a secret vote this week. |
| BBC chief political correspondent Gary O'Donoghue says he has been told that the vote to remove her immunity was "overwhelming". | BBC chief political correspondent Gary O'Donoghue says he has been told that the vote to remove her immunity was "overwhelming". |
| It will need to be ratified by the full parliament, but that's expected to be a formality, our correspondent says. | It will need to be ratified by the full parliament, but that's expected to be a formality, our correspondent says. |
| When the parliament's legal affairs committee first tried to consider the case, Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far right National Front party, failed to turn up. | When the parliament's legal affairs committee first tried to consider the case, Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far right National Front party, failed to turn up. |
| This week she sent a fellow French MEP in her place. | This week she sent a fellow French MEP in her place. |
| The move clears the way for the French authorities to pursue a case against the leader, who steered her party to a record 18% showing in the first round of last year's presidential election. | The move clears the way for the French authorities to pursue a case against the leader, who steered her party to a record 18% showing in the first round of last year's presidential election. |
| Mrs Le Pen made the remarks at a party rally in 2010 in the southern French town of Lyon. | Mrs Le Pen made the remarks at a party rally in 2010 in the southern French town of Lyon. |
| She said that Muslims using the streets to pray because mosques were overflowing was an "occupation" of French territory. | She said that Muslims using the streets to pray because mosques were overflowing was an "occupation" of French territory. |
| Praying in the streets was banned in Paris in 2011 in response to growing far right protests. | Praying in the streets was banned in Paris in 2011 in response to growing far right protests. |
| By some estimates, as many as six million French people, or just under 10% of the population, are Muslims, with origins in France's former North African colonies. | By some estimates, as many as six million French people, or just under 10% of the population, are Muslims, with origins in France's former North African colonies. |
| Their integration has been a source of political debate in recent years, and in 2011 France became the first EU state to ban face-covering Islamic veils in public. | |
| The BBC has so far been unable to reach Mrs Le Pen for comment. |