France Charges Merah's Brother

Preliminary terrorism, murder charges filed against Abdelkader Merah
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 25, 2012 12:42 PM CDT
France Charges Merah's Brother
An unidentified man with his head covered, believed to be Abdelkader Merah, sits between masked police officers, outside Paris, Saturday, March 24, 2012.   (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

French prosecutors today filed preliminary murder and terrorism charges against Abdelkader Merah, the brother of Mohamed Merah, the man suspected of gunning down seven people in Toulouse last week. Abdelkader Merah, 29, has been held since Wednesday pending charges; that prosecutors have filed them indicates a strong reason that a crime was committed, notes the AP, but gives investigators more time while Merah remains in custody. Abdelkader Merah denies the charges, reports the BBC, but says he was present when his younger brother stole a scooter later used in the attacks. (More Mohamed Merah stories.)

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