ISTANBUL 

French authorities took a 76-year-old man in custody on Tuesday after he allegedly threatened the judge who sentenced far-right political leader Marine Le Pen to five years of ineligibility from holding public office.

The suspect was apprehended in the commune of La Garenne-Colombes, located in the Hauts-de-Seine department near Paris, the French broadcaster BFMTV reported.

According to investigators, the man posted a threatening message on X, targeting the presiding judge of the case.

Accompanied by an image of a guillotine, the message read: "What this b***h deserves."

The judge in question, who presided over the 11th correctional chamber of the Paris Judicial Court, has reportedly been subjected to mounting intimidation since the court’s decision against Le Pen.

As a precaution, French authorities have placed the magistrate's residence under police protection and opened an investigation into the threats.

On March 31, the far-right National Rally leader was found guilty of misusing European Parliament funds to pay party staff for non-parliamentary work. She was banned from politics for five years and sentenced to four years in prison—two of which are suspended, and two to be served under electronic surveillance—along with a €100,000 fine.

Last Thursday, the Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that five individuals had been identified as suspects in connection with online threats made against judicial officials involved in the case.

These threats reportedly targeted not only the presiding judge but also two public prosecutors. It remains unclear whether the man detained in La Garenne-Colombes is among the five suspects initially flagged by investigators.

French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin have both strongly condemned the wave of intimidation. Darmanin labeled the threats "unacceptable in a democracy," emphasizing the need to uphold judicial independence and protect the integrity of France’s legal institutions.

"We will not tolerate any form of pressure on magistrates," he stated.

Le Pen has vowed to appeal the verdict.

Meanwhile, security services remain on high alert amid growing concerns about the safety of legal officials and the potential for further radical actions by individuals sympathetic to Le Pen or hostile to the French judiciary.