 French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is refusing to undergo a court-ordered psychiatric exam for tweeting brutal images of Islamic State violence, comparing the demand to methods used in totalitarian regimes.
A preliminary charge of distribution of violent images was filed in March against Le Pen, a lawmaker, after her immunity was lifted.
On Thursday, she tweeted a decision ordering a psychiatric exam that was dated Sept. 12 and gives her 10 days to modify questions to be asked. She said on BFM TV that totalitarian regimes use such methods against opponents to “make them look like they’re crazy.”
Le Pen’s December 2015 tweets showed executions by IS extremists, including the killing of American reporter James Foley. She posted them after the November 2015 Paris attacks by IS that killed 130 people.
