Marine Le Pen, France’s far-right leader, was sentenced to prison and barred from running for office for five years after a court convicted her of embezzlement.

The far-right French politician was a leading candidate to become the country’s next president, but has now been barred from running for public office for five years.

A French court on Monday convicted Marine Le Pen of embezzlement and barred her from seeking public office for five years -- a hammer blow to the far-right leader's presidential hopes and an earthquake for French politics.