Brother of Terrorist who Murdered Jews in France to Face Terrorism Trial

The brother of an al-Qaeda terrorist who murdered seven people, including four Jews, in Toulouse, France, is facing trial for accessory to murder.

A brother of Mohamed Merah — the Islamic terrorist who murdered seven people in attacks on a Jewish school and French paratroopers in 2012 — has been ordered to stand trial in France on terrorism charges.

The prosecutor’s office said Abdel Khader Merah, 33, is accused of involvement in an al-Qaida-related group that plotted attacks against Jews and soldiers, obtained weapons and stole a motorcycle for his brother’s rampage in the southwestern French city of Toulouse.

Some authorities initially suspected a lone-wolf attack by Mohamed Merah, but Abdelkhader was given preliminary charges of being an accomplice to murder in the attacks only three days after his brother died in a shootout with police. He has been in custody ever since.

After four years of investigation, the Paris prosecutor’s office said Wednesday that Abdelkhader Merah will be sent to trial at a Paris special anti-terrorism court along with another person, Fettah Malki. He faces up to life in prison if convicted of complicity to murder in relation to a terrorist undertaking and conspiracy to commit a terrorist crime.

The special criminal court is only made up of professional judges, with no jurors chosen among citizens. The trial is not expected to be held before next year at the earliest.

Rabbi Jonathan Sandler, his two young sons aged 3 and 6, the 8-year-old daughter of the principal of Otzar HaTorah day school and three French Muslim paratroopers were killed by Mohamed Merah, 23, in Toulouse and the nearby city of Montauban over nine days in March 2012. He was later killed by French security forces after a 30-hour siege.

A third man, Mohamed Meskine, who was initially given preliminary charges of conspiracy to commit a terrorist crime and gang-related theft in relation to a terrorist crime, had his case dismissed, prosecutors said Wednesday.

By: AP and United with Israel Staff

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