PARIS – The Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF) on Friday reacted to a Paris court’s ruling to sentence the brother of the 2012 Toulouse terrorist to 20 years in prison on terrorism charges, while clearing him of murder.
“Abdelkader Merah remains totally guilty in regard to the pain of the families and the horror of the crime committed by his brother, whom he radicalized and used as a weapon of his murderous ideology,” CRIF President Kalifat said, adding that he feared the mixed verdict would be seen by Islamic terrorists as a sign of weakness.
In a statement released following the verdict, CRIF said: “Justice is almost done. This trial made it possible to understand how hate is shaped in France and should encourage us to be vigilant at all times.”
Abdelkader Merah was convicted of criminal conspiracy in connection with a terrorist enterprise, in a long-awaited trial after his brother Moahmmed Merah killed three soldiers and four Jews, including three children at a Jewish school in Toulouse, in 2012. Mohammed Merah was shot dead by the police several days after the attack in a standoff that lasted more than 30 hours
In its verdict, the special tribunal set up in Paris ruled that although Abdelkader Merah and another accomplice, Fettah Malki supported the younger Merah brother’s terrorist ambitions, they were not implicated in the various stages of planning and execution of the acts committed by Mohammed Merah between March 15 and 19 of 2012. Malki was sentenced to 14 years in prison for his role as accomplice.
