Le Pen plays down French occupation

EXTREME-RIGHT leader Jean-Marie Le Pen was facing prosecution today after saying the Nazi occupation of France was not particularly brutal.

The 76-year-old was unapologetic, saying it is "scandalous" that people are not free to air their views. He called himself a "defender of freedom of thought", denouncing a "veritable political control of thought" in France.

Le Pen, leader of the National Front Party, told an extreme-right-wing paper that the World War Two occupation "was not particularly inhuman, even if there were a few blunders".

Justice Minister Dominique Perben called the remarks "abject" and said that Le Pen "must explain himself before a court". The minister said that he had asked the Paris prosecutor to open proceedings.

Mr Perben cited various Nazi crimes in France, from deportations of Jews to massacres like the one in the central France village of Oradour-sur-Glane in which 642 men, women and children were killed. He said it was "abject" to consider such Nazi actions as "blunders" and said Le Pen has "disqualified himself as a politician".

During the war, 76,000 Jews, including 12,000 children, were deported from France. Only 2500 survived.