France's Le Pen calls her conviction 'witch hunt' at rally in Paris

France's far-right politician Marine Le Pen has denounced a court ruling banning her from standing for office as a "witch hunt." She made the remark at a rally held by the National Rally party in Paris on Sunday. 

The party's president Jordan Bardella and a large crowd of supporters gathered at the event. Le Pen is widely viewed as the front-runner for the 2027 presidential election. A court in Paris last month gave Le Pen, the former head of the far-right party, a five-year ban on running for public office. 

She was convicted of embezzling public funds, which were intended for parliamentary assistants, to finance her party's activities. She has been barred from standing for the presidency unless the ruling is overturned by an appeals court. At the rally, Le Pen said the court decision was made not in accordance with the law but politically motivated. She added that her verdict was not justice but a witch hunt.