Originally published 27 September 2018

Marine Le Pen, a popular far-right figurehead in France, has been ordered by a French court to take a psychiatric exam after posting obscene pictures of Islamic State brutality on Twitter, and she refused to comply with the order. Le Pen posted her tweets in December 2015, displaying three images showcasing horrific executions by I.S. extremists, including the murder of American reporter James Foley. The tweets in question were posted after the terrorist attacks by I.S. that killed 130 people in Paris back in November 2015.

This investigation is a part of multiple other roadblocks that have stunted Le Pen’s National Rally, otherwise known as the Rassemblement national, in its efforts to restore itself after a damaging loss during the second round of the French elections last year. Le Pen, a well-known French lawyer and lawmaker, ran for president of France last year against Emmanuel Macron, to whom she lost. The French court replied that the assessments for Le Pen had always been a regular component of such inquiries.

Outraged, Le Pen took to Twitter and said, “I thought I had seen it all: but no! For having denounced the horrors of #Daesh in tweets, the ‘justice’ is submitting me to a psychiatric evaluation! How far will they go?” Le Pen concluded, “It’s UNBELIEVABLE.”

Commenting on the story, Le Pen’s hard-left rival Jean-Luc Melenchon stated that he believed such an evaluation was unnecessary. Melenchon remarked that Le Pen was “politically responsible for her political acts.” He also remarked that this is not how his party should, or will, weaken the far right.

NBC News’ Crispian Balmer reported that Italy’s Interior Minister, Metteo Salvini, was at a loss for words regarding the news. Salvini commented, “Solidarity with her and with the French who love freedom!”

Macron has not yet commented on the situation.

A preliminary charge of distribution of violent images was filed in March against Le Pen after her immunity was lifted. French law dictates that proper medical evaluations must be carried out in investigations like these, something the court had made a point of reinforcing, according to The Associated Press.

On Thursday, Sept. 20, Le Pen tweeted a copy of the court document with the decision ordering the psychiatric exam. The document, dated Sept. 12, gives her 10 days to review and alter questions to be asked during said exam. According the document, the judge wants the evaluation to estimate whether Le Pen suffers from any mental illness and, if so, whether it could have affected her awareness when deciding to upload the tweets. NBC News reported that the assigned medical expert must also determine if Le Pen’s mental health could be a risk to the public.

Le Pen remarked on BFM TV, a 24-hour news channel and the most popular news network in France, that totalitarian regimes use such methods against opponents to “make them look like they’re crazy.”

The situation fits with Le Pen’s party’s narrative that the French establishment are using the courts to persecute the far-right party and undermine them politically in the public eye, citing instances such as the time they were targeted over the alleged misuse of European Union funds. Le Pen later told reporters that she plans to not attend the medical examination. Le Pen stated, “I’d like to see how the judge would try and force me do it,” according to NBC News.

Editor’s Note: Information from The Associated Press and NBC News was used in this report.