STOP THE LAWFARE: Fighting Back Against the Left’s Global Assault on Democracy

The same weaponization of justice that targeted President Trump is now being unleashed against Marine Le Pen – and we’re fighting back. The ACLJ has been on the front lines defending against lawfare – the deliberate weaponization of legal systems to destroy political opponents. We’ve witnessed this cancer spread from courtroom to courtroom, from continent to continent, as authoritarian forces abandon democracy in favor of persecution through prosecution.

We’ve seen this playbook before. We’ve fought it before. And we’re fighting it again. Sign our petition to stop the radical Left’s election interference and attack on conservatives.

We are proud to stand with French political leader Marine Le Pen as she faces what can only be described as a textbook example of lawfare. It’s a copy and paste of the abominable sham legal attack waged on President Trump, and now the global Left has exported this reprehensible lawfare tactic to Europe. In recognition of its expertise, our international affiliate, the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), has been asked by Mrs. Le Pen to prepare her application before the European Court of Human Rights, and is fully dedicated to this cause, in order to defend true democracy.

The Global War on Democracy

Make no mistake: What is happening to Marine Le Pen in France is the EXACT same lawfare strategy that was unleashed against President Donald Trump here in America. The tactics are identical, the motives are transparent, and the threat to democratic governance is existential. The pattern is unmistakable: Target the opposition favorite, manufacture charges, rush to judgment, and eliminate them before voters can decide.

Just as it did with President Trump, the establishment is:

• Manufacturing bogus charges against its strongest conservative political opponent in France.
• Rushing to judgment before proper appeals can be heard.
• Using immediate enforcement to eliminate electoral competition.
• Claiming to defend “democracy” while systematically destroying it.

The ACLJ has been fighting this assault on justice every step of the way. We’ve defended President Trump against politically motivated prosecutions, exposed the corruption of weaponized government agencies, and stood firm against the Deep State’s relentless campaign to overturn the will of the American people. Much like in Le Pen’s case, we even directly defeated an attempt to remove President Trump from the presidential ballot at the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Outrageous Assault on Marine Le Pen

Marine Le Pen, the courageous leader of France’s National Rally and one of Europe’s most prominent defenders of sovereignty and traditional values, has been convicted in what can only be described as a SHAM prosecution designed to eliminate her from the political arena.

But here’s the truly outrageous part: French authorities are attempting to enforce her sentence – including a BAN on running for office – while her appeal is still pending. This is not justice – this is political persecution of the highest order. This represents a fundamental violation of her right to effective appellate review, a cornerstone of any civilized legal system. The most insidious part of the trap is the “provisional enforcement” order, which makes Le Pen’s sentence take effect immediately. Even if she wins on appeal, she's already eliminated from the 2027 presidential election in France.

The court claimed that a serious disruption of democratic public order would be caused by allowing a convicted person to run for office. In other words, the court declared that following democratic processes disrupts democracy.

This is lawfare in action: Using the courts to eliminate political opposition if they can even mount a proper defense through the appellate process. It quite directly echoes Trump v. Anderson, where we won a unanimous victory on behalf of the Colorado Republican Party and the right to have President Trump on the ballot.

ACLJ’s Battle-Tested Legal Analysis

Our legal team, seasoned from years of fighting Deep State persecution, has conducted exhaustive research proving that the immediate enforcement of Le Pen’s sentence violates EVERY standard of international human rights law in a petition to the European Court of Human Rights. The Court now holds the key to French democracy.

In past cases, the European Court of Human Rights has REPEATEDLY and UNANIMOUSLY held that executing sentences before appeals are complete is a fundamental violation of human rights. In Shvydka v. Ukraine, the Court ruled that appellate rights must be “practical and effective,” not the meaningless theater that French authorities are trying to stage.

The Court was crystal clear: “The Convention is intended to guarantee not rights that are theoretical or illusory but rights that are practical and effective.”

This isn’t complicated legal theory – it’s basic human decency. You don’t destroy someone’s life and political career based on a conviction that might be overturned on appeal.

International Law Demands Justice

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has made it abundantly clear that sentences becoming “executory immediately” with only subsequent review VIOLATE basic human rights standards. Even the U.N. – hardly a bastion of conservative values – has precedent that recognizes that what’s happening to Marine Le Pen is fundamentally wrong.

American Courts Know Better

Even in America, where we’ve witnessed unprecedented lawfare against our own President, courts have often held that prohibitions on holding office must be stayed pending appeal. From sea to shining sea, American jurisprudence recognizes what French authorities apparently cannot grasp: You cannot destroy someone’s political rights based on a conviction that might be overturned.

As the Kentucky appellate court declared in Hazelrigg v. Douglass:

It would be giving to the convicted officer very inadequate relief to say that he might appeal from the judgment vacating his office, and yet be deprived of the office by the judgment of the inferior court, although that judgment might be reversed and entirely set aside by the judgment of the appellate court.

The Playbook We’ve Seen Before

Those of us who have watched the systematic persecution of President Trump recognize this playbook with sickening familiarity:

STEP 1: Manufacture charges against your strongest political opponent.

STEP 2: Rush through biased proceedings with predetermined outcomes.

STEP 3: Demand immediate enforcement before appeals can be heard.

STEP 4: Claim you’re “defending democracy” while systematically destroying it.

 STEP 5: Hope the damage is irreversible, even if you lose on appeal.

This is EXACTLY what they did to President Trump – and now they’re doing it to Marine Le Pen. The ACLJ has been fighting this assault on justice from Day One. We’ve filed countless briefs and exposed the corruption of politicized justice systems. We’ve seen how Deep State actors coordinate with international allies to share tactics and strategies for eliminating political opponents.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. We’re witnessing the systematic destruction of democratic governance through the weaponization of legal systems. When courts become tools of political persecution, when legal processes are perverted to eliminate electoral competition, when the right to appeal becomes meaningless – these are attacks on a free society.

Why This Fight Matters for Every American

Some might ask: Why should Americans care about what happens to a French politician? Here’s why: The same processes and tactics being used against conservatives like Le Pen are the tactics that were used against President Trump.

Consider what we’re really witnessing:

• Coordinated lawfare campaigns against conservative leaders;
• Rushed prosecutions designed to interfere with elections;
• Immediate enforcement of sentences before appeals can be heard;
• A complete abandonment of basic principles of justice and due process.

This is not a coincidence – this is the same playbook.

The ACLJ Will Not Stand Down

We didn’t back down when the far Left came for President Trump, and we won’t back down now that it’s targeting Marine Le Pen. The ACLJ stands ready to deploy our full legal arsenal in defense of fundamental human rights and democratic principles. As we have seen in our own country, the weaponization of the legal system against political opponents represents one of the gravest threats to democratic institutions. When courts become tools of political persecution rather than guardians of justice, the entire foundation of free society crumbles.

We will not allow politically motivated prosecutions to determine electoral outcomes. We will not permit the weaponization of justice systems to silence political dissent. The battle for Marine Le Pen’s rights is ultimately a battle for the rights of every citizen to due process, fair elections, and protection from political persecution.

On June 18, the ECLJ presented the case of Mrs. Le Pen before Members of the European Parliament and diplomats. You can watch the presentation in English here. And you can review our full analysis of the case here.

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