French magazines fined over Valerie Trierweiler photos

The judge said that Ms Trierweiler had not always shown discretion about her private life

Three French magazines have been fined by a court in Paris for publishing photos of France's first lady, Valerie Trierweiler, in her bikini.

The magazines Voici and Closer were fined 1,500 euros (£1,200) each, and Public was fined 1,000 euros.

The photos were taken when Ms Trierweiler and her partner President Francois Hollande were on holiday.

However, the judge also said Ms Trierweiler must have been aware of the risk of being photographed.

Judge Anne-Marie Sauteraud noted that Ms Trierweiler had been bathing in a bikini on the beach of the official presidential retreat of Fort de Bregancon in Provence.

"She could not have been ignorant of the fact that photographs could have been taken," Judge Sauteraud said.

No consent

Ms Trierweiler had not always shown discretion about her private life, Judge Sauteraud added, recalling a tweet that she sent during elections earlier this year in support of a rival of Segolene Royal, Mr Hollande's ex-wife.

However, she found that Ms Trierweiler had not consented to the publication of the photographs and that there was no legitimate reason to publish them.

Ms Trierweiler originally sought damages of between 20,000 and 25,000 euros, according to the magazines concerned.

Last month another magazine, VSD, was fined for printing similar photos of Ms Trierweiler.

Also last month, a Paris court banned French magazine Closer from publishing topless pictures it had printed of the Duchess of Cambridge and ordered it to hand over the originals.