France's Le Pen decries "banking fatwa", says to file complaints

PARIS, Nov 22 (Reuters) - French National Front party leader Marine Le Pen on Wednesday said she was victim of a "banking fatwa" after banks moved to close her and her party's accounts.

"This is an attempt to suffocate an opposition party," Le Pen told a news conference.

She said her party would file a complaint against Societe Generale and a subsidiary bank, and that she would also file a complaint against HSBC over closure of a personal account of hers.

The party says that Societe Generale closed its accounts and that when the central bank ordered a subsidiary, Credit du Nord, to manage an account for her, the latter refused to process cheque and credit card payments.

Societe Generale on Tuesday said it could not comment due to banking confidentiality. HSBC on Wednesday could not immediately be reached for comment. None of these banks has explicitly confirmed or denied closing the FN's accounts or Le Pen's. (Reporting by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Brian Love)