FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

French prosecutors are investigating Le Pen for “publishing violent images” of ISIS executions on her Twitter account – an offence which carries a penalty of three years in prison and a £64,000 (€75k) fine. Responding to a request from the French judiciary, MEPs in the legal affairs committee of the European legislature "overwhelmingly” voted to lift her immunity after she posted three photos of beheadings, including that of US journalist James Foley, on Twitter in December 2015.

GETTY Ukip MEP David Coburn has criticised the EU Parliament for stripping Le Pen of her immunity

This is an absolute scandal – the lights are going out all over Europe on freedom of speech David Coburn

The committee's vote was confirmed by the whole parliament in a second vote on Thursday. Le Pen’s immunity would have shielded her from prosecution and lifting it now permits legal action against her. However, Ukip MEP David Coburn has condemned the EU Parliament’s decision and supported Le Pen’s assertion that the allegations are politically motivated.

Topless protester blasts Marine Le Pen Fri, February 24, 2017 A topless protester burst into a hall where French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen was delivering a foreign policy speech chanting 'Marine, pretend feminist' Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 9 Marine Le Pen gestures after a press conference focused on the theme 'France's international policy in a multipolar world'

“The Socialists and the European Parliament do not want freedom of speech.” Coburn believes the decision to strip Le Pen’s immunity could work in her favour ahead of the first round of French presidential election voting next month. He added: “French people are not stupid and neither is the rest of Europe. We could see that this is a plot by the establishment to nobble her and it is not going to work.

GETTY Coburn criticised the European Parliament's decision