France, Oct. 2 -- The row over anti-Semitic messages attributed to Bardella intensified on Friday, after investigative website Mediapart published technical evidence it says authenticates private conversations on Facebook's Messenger service dating from 2013.

Bardella has repeatedly denied writing the messages, describing them as fabrications designed to damage his political career.

He has announced legal action for defamation as well as forgery and the use of forged documents.

But Mediapart says online conversations obtained from people who knew Bardella at the time were extracted using data held by Facebook parent company Meta, with the process authenticated by a court bailiff.

The controversy escalated further when Justice Minister...