ALGERIA: Toulouse shooter Mohamed Merah's father is set to file suit against French police says his lawyer Zahia Mokhtari
Record ID:
574077
ALGERIA: Toulouse shooter Mohamed Merah's father is set to file suit against French police says his lawyer Zahia Mokhtari
- Title: ALGERIA: Toulouse shooter Mohamed Merah's father is set to file suit against French police says his lawyer Zahia Mokhtari
- Date: 30th March 2012
- Summary: ALGIERS, ALGERIA (MARCH 29, 2012) (REUTERS) BUILDING WHERE LAWYER ZAHIA MOKHTARI, ACTING FOR MOHAMED MERAH'S FATHER, LIVES MOKHTARI IN HER APARTMENT LEGAL BOOKS MOKHTARI LOOKING THROUGH BOOKS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LAWYER ZAHIA MOKHTARI ACTING FOR MOHAMED MERAH'S FATHER "There was a conversation between us and at the start I didn't accept the job until I had proof that would allow me to take the action. And that's what was agreed to, that Mr Merah doesn't want to accuse or go after any institution in France. Mr Merah only wants to question the French justice, which is known for its integrity and neutrality. Mr Merah expects the rights that were taken away from him in this operation to be restored to him." MOKHTARI LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LAWYER ZAHIA MOKHTARI ACTING FOR MOHAMED MERAH'S FATHER "Mr Merah only wants go after the people who were present in this murderous operation. Why? Because he can't go after other people and get into other matters that weren't related to this operation." MOKHTARI SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LAWYER ZAHIA MOKHTARI ACTING FOR MOHAMED MERAH'S FATHER "It should have been better to treat him in a better manner. The security forces could have taken him alive, because a young man of his age didn't have the same weapons as those who were encircling him." MOKHTARI SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LAWYER ZAHIA MOKHTARI ACTING FOR MOHAMED MERAH'S FATHER "He (Merah's father) wanted him to be buried in the village that the family had come from, in keeping with the traditions of his religion. When he learnt the news, he was surprised and I can even tell you that he cried." VARIOUS OF MOKHTARI IN HER APARTMENT
- Embargoed: 14th April 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Algeria, Algeria
- Country: Algeria
- Reuters ID: LVA99FZ03PAY2TVEJR1TH2KGS88P
- Story Text: Toulouse shooter Mohamed Merah's father is set to file suit against French police, his Algerian lawyer said on Thursday (March 29).
Zahia Mokhtari spoke to Reuters Television in the Algerian capital of Algiers and said that efforts for the lawsuit are underway.
"Mr Merah only wants go after the people who were present in this murderous operation. Why? Because he can't go after other people and get into other matters that weren't related to this operation," Mokhtari said.
"Mr Merah doesn't want to accuse or go after any institution in France. Mr Merah only wants to ask French justice, which is known for its integrity and neutrality in many cases. Mr Merah expects the rights that were taken away from him in this operation to be restored to him."
Merah's father has lashed out at French authorities for killing his son rather than arresting him and putting him on trial.
"It should have been better to treat him in a better manner. The security forces could have taken him alive, because a young man of his age didn't have the same weapons as those who were encircling him," she added.
The body of the al Qaeda-inspired gunman who killed seven people in France this month was buried on Thursday after Algeria refused to allow the ceremony to be carried out on their turf.
Merah, a Frenchman of Algerian origin who was shot dead by police last week following a siege at his home in Toulouse, was set to be buried in the North African country at the request of his father who lives there.
However, a senior French Muslim official said the mayor of the Algerian village of Bezzaz had declined the request for security reasons.
"He (Merah's father) wanted him to be buried in the village that the family had come from, in keeping with the traditions of his religion. When he learnt the news, he was surprised and I can even tell you that he cried," Mokhtari said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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