Toulouse killer Merah's father sues French police

The father of Toulouse killer Mohammad Merah is suing the French police for killing his son. Mohamed Benalel Merah alleges that the elite French police team, Raid, was given orders by the head of the national police force to kill the self-confessed murderer.

Reuters/Julien Muguet

Merah senior’s lawyer, Zahia Mokthari, claims that he and his client have proof of the accusation.

Isabelle Coutant-Peyre, who is assisting Mokhtari, noted that at the time of the stand-off, there were about 300 to 400 armed people surrounding Merah’s apartment.

“That alone is enough raises questions,” she said Tuesday.

Videos released in early April and probably taken by Merah on his iPhone were sent to his father during the stand-off. These images will be handed over to authorities when the investigation begins.

Raid chief Amaury de Hauteclocque told the AFP news agency that his men went out of their way to give Merah a chance and that it was the Toulouse killer himself who had sparked off the assault.

In mid-March Mohamad Merah shot dead seven people, three French paratroopers, three children and a Jewish teacher.

Surrounded by police on the early hours of 21 March, Merah ended negotiations with police, claiming he was a mujahedeen and wanted to die with his weapons in hand, said Hauteclocque.

He was killed by Raid on 22 March after a 32-hour standoff.