PARIS (AP) — The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened a preliminary inquiry into a statement by the sister of radical Islamist Mohamed Merah, who said she’s “proud” of her brother, who killed seven people, including three Jewish children, in March.
A judicial official said Monday that the probe for “defense of terrorism” is aimed at establishing the conditions under which Souad Merah spoke. Her words, captured by a hidden camera, were aired this weekend in a TV documentary based on an account by Merah’s oldest brother, Abdelghani. He claims the Merah children, of Algerian origin, were raised on anti-Semitism.
Interior Minister Manuel Valls denounced Souad Merah’s words, saying they can only be seen as a defense of terrorism and of anti-Semitism.
Merah was killed in a standoff with police at his Toulouse apartment.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
