Merah’s father alleges murder

THE father of scooter killer Mohammed Merah has lodged formal legal action against the police for “murdering” his son.

One of the lawyers representing him, Isabelle Coutant-Peyre, said they were alleging “murder in aggravating circumstances” – either because of “premeditation” or because it was done “in an organised gang”.

Merah, who admitted killing three soldiers, three Jewish children and a rabbi in Toulouse and claimed connections with Al-Qaeda, was shot in March by the elite RAID squad as they tried to get into his flat to arrest him after a 32-hour siege.

Police bosses said afterwards the officers were forced to kill him as he opened fire on them with several weapons.

RAID head Amaury de Hautecloque said his men gave Merah every chance to give himself up peacefully, but he told them: “I am a Mujahideen [holy warrior]: I want to die arms in hand”.

Ms Coutant-Peyre, who married life prisoner terrorist Carlos ‘The Jackal’ in 2001, said the complaint was against the heads of the Police Nationale, who she said gave the orders to the RAID squad.

“You had 300-400 heavily-armed people and a guy on his own locked in his flat. That alone is enough to raise questions,” she said.

Another lawyer for the father, Zahia Moktari, said: “We expect of French justice that it should clear away the murkiness surrounding this affair.”

Ms Moktari said they would be presenting proof of their claims, thought to be videos sent by Merah via his phone to his father, Mohammed Benalel Merah.
Photo: Screen shot from France 24