Paris – The family of a French gunman who targeted a Jewish school and was later shot dead by police filed a lawsuit Monday suggesting he was effectively murdered.
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Prosecutors say Mohamed Merah was a radical Islamist who killed three Jewish schoolchildren, a rabbi and three French paratroopers in a rampage in March that shocked the country. Merah died after a 32-hour standoff at his apartment in the southern city of Toulouse.
Algerian lawyer Zahia Mokhtari and French lawyer Isabelle Coutant-Peyre filed the lawsuit in the main Paris courthouse Monday alleging “murder with aggravating circumstances.”
Coutant-Peyre says the suit does not name anyone specifically, but suggested that the family is accusing the elite RAID police force of intentionally killing Merah instead of capturing him alive and letting him speak out.
In April, lawyer Mokhtari told French BFM television that she would file a lawsuit against the RAID force, and that she had two videos of Merah that contradict the police narrative of what happened.
“In these videos, he says, ‘I am innocent. Why are you killing me? I didn’t do anything,'” she said in April. Mokhtari did not detail how she got the videos.
On Monday, Coutant-Peyre said the Merah family lawyers will offer the videos to prosecutors if asked. She said they have “serious evidence” backing up their lawsuit, but would not elaborate.
“You have 300 or 400 over-armed people, and one guy alone in his apartment, closed in,” Coutant-Peyre said.
Prosecutors say Merah spoke at length with negotiators from the RAID force throughout the standoff in his apartment, and told officers where to find a video he took of the crime spree. Police said Merah was shot in the head and killed as he jumped out a window, guns blazing.
It is now up to prosecutors to decide whether to pursue an investigation or dismiss the Merah family’s lawsuit.
Merah’s brother is in custody after being handed preliminary charges of alleged complicity in preparing the killings.
The shootings at the Jewish school and of the paratroopers were the worst terrorist attacks in France since the 1990s and have revived concerns about violence by homegrown Islamist radicals. Merah traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan and said he received weapons training there.
Coutant-Peyre is also the lawyer for notorious Venezuelan-born terrorist Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known as Carlos the Jackal. Ramirez is serving a life sentence in a French prison.
They are suing the government. In the US, a judge would read the filing and toss it. I hope France does the same.
they should deport the family and the attorney representing them. Just drop them out of a plane somewhere over the atlantic. The attorney will be fine – sharks will leave him alone due to professional courtesy.
I hope this article is a BELATED. APRIL FOOLS JOKE terrorist and there families have NO RIGHTS! EXCEPT, to be killed, u take innocent lives u DIE! I wonder if someone would have shot him whilst he was shooting, would they Sue them too.?
The French people rightfully did not blame the gunman’s family till now. Now they should harass them out of the country.
People and their lawyers who file such lawsuits should be made to pay a hefty fine. No attorney would take a case such as this if they had to reach into their own pockets.
What chutzpah! This case reminds me of an incident which occurred in L.A., about 15 years ago, whereby two gunman, wearing body armor and with automatic weapons, held up a bank, and then fired hundreds of rounds at police and pedestrians, wounding several. The cops were outgunned, and were pinned down for hours. Finally, they managed to get to a gun store, where they were able to purchase heavy duty guns, to match the robbers. Finally, one of the robbers was shot dead, and the other was wounded and taken into custody. However, the family of the latter gunman sued, stating that the wounded gunman died “because of the negligence of the police and paramedics in giving him expeditious medical care”. The case was actuallys settled, with the plaintiff receiving a settlement! Unbelievable!
May Hashem avenge the blood of his precious children from these brazen unrepentant reptiles.
so kill multiple people for no reason whatsoever and come out right. is that these stupid people think it works? wake up!!!!!!!!!!!!
If I were his parents I would hide for shame and not bring any attention to themselves except to apologize!!!! What is this a. Circus? The Guy shot a 7 year old point blank!!!