France: Elder Le Pen faces fines over remarks

PARIS (AA)- The co-founder of far-right National Front (FN) party, Jean-Marie Le Pen, had a €30,000 ($30,300) fine for denial of crimes against humanity confirmed on appeal on Wednesday.

The Court of Appeal of Paris confirmed the condemnation of Jean-Marie Le Pen for having repeatedly describing the Nazi gas chambers as a “mere detail” of history.

A court in the southern city of Aix-en-Provence also ordered the 88-year-old on Tuesday to pay €5,000 euros after losing his appeal against a conviction for inciting racial hatred and discrimination.

He described people from the Roma minority as "smelly" at a 2013 press conference in Nice.

Le Pen has been convicted several times for racism, inciting racial hatred and denying or minimizing the Holocaust, which are considered crimes in France.

He was expelled from the National Front party in August 2015 following a family feud with his daughter, Marine Le Pen, the party’s current leader and presidential candidate.