French National Front political party leader and candidate Marine Le Pen delivers a speech after results A masked Islamic State militant, believed to be Jihadi John, holding a knife speaks next to USA journalist James Foley at an unknown location.
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The family of the U.S. reporter said they were “deeply disturbed” and called for the photo to be taken down immediately.
On Wednesday Le Pen posted three graphic pictures of executions by ISIS in response to French journalist Jean-Jacques Bourdin, who she said had drawn a parallel between her party – the National Front – and the terrorist group.
French prosecutors on Thursday confirmed it had launched an investigation into Le Pen’s “dissemination of violent images'”.
“We choose to use our tragedy to improve the world around us, and Le Pen’s actions go against everything Jim and the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation stand for”.
The FN leader responded, telling journalists she did not know one of the pictures was of Foley and removed it after the family had asked her to.
Foley’s parents John and Diane want Le Pen to remove the “shamefully uncensored” image of their son, and for her to stop using his image for political gain.
‘Madame Le Pen: inflaming public debate, political and moral failing, non-respect for victims, ‘ he wrote on his Twitter account.
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve alerted the police to look into the tweets “as they do every time these photos are published”.
Foley, a freelance journalist, was captured in Syria in 2012 and beheaded in August 2014.
Le Pen dismissed Valls and Cazeneuve’s criticism, accusing them of having “lost sight of reason”.
Le Pen tweeted the images with #Daesh – an acronym for ISIS.
Le Pen on Thursday announced she had taken down the picture of Foley.
“At no point did I say the FN was like Daesh”, he insisted.
Le Pen was making an attempt to show the distinction between the 2 still the effort backfired, drawing widespread condemnation, & the inside minister accused her of fomenting ISIS propaganda.
“We are only showing the hate-filled ignominy of those who (compare) us with killers”, he is reported as saying.
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The Front National campaigned heavily over the migrant crisis and terrorism, though the party failed to win control of any regions.
