French National Rally leader Marine Le Pen has been found guilty in an embezzlement case.
The far-right leader and 24 other officials from her National Rally party were accused of diverting more than €3m (£2.51m) of European Parliament funds to pay France-based staff between 2004 and 2016.
Le Pen denied accusations she was at the head of “a system” meant to siphon off EU funds to benefit her party.
The defendants claimed the money was used legitimately.
The nine-week trial took place at the end of last year.
Prosecutors wanted Le Pen to face an immediate five-year ban from public office if found guilty.
The 56-year-old is a three-time presidential contender who has said 2027 would be her final run for top office.
It is unclear if the ruling will impact her chances of running for president.
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