French PM: Fundamentalism is no crime

French PM Francois Fillon says authorities could not arrest Mohamed Merah, who gunned down children, paratroopers and a rabbi, before he committed the crimes.

Izvor: Beta

Friday, 23.03.2012.

13:16

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French PM Francois Fillon says authorities could not arrest Mohamed Merah, who gunned down children, paratroopers and a rabbi, before he committed the crimes. “There was not a single element that would allow us to arrest Merah before he committed the series of murders”, Fillon told RTL radio. French PM: Fundamentalism is no crime "We don't have the right in a country like ours to permanently monitor without judicial authorization someone who hasn't committed an offense... We live in a state of law," he stressed. The French police have extended custody of mother and brother of Merah who killed seven people in the name of Al-Qaeda, a well-informed source has said. Merah’s brother Abdelkader’s girlfriend has also been remanded in custody. The three of them were arrested when police raided Merah’s building in the city of Toulouse. The police have launched an investigation against Merah’s family members who are accused of terrorism-related crimes. They can be detained for four days for questioning. The police and prosecutors have stated that Merah’s brother was a radical Islamist and that traces of explosives have been found in his car. According to the prosecution, Merah committed the first murder after he had contacted his first victim, a 30-year-old officer, from his mother’s computer. After a series of murders committed by the 23-year-old, the French public wonders whether the French intelligence services were careful enough bearing in mind that the Frenchman of Algerian descent had travelled to Afghanistan and Pakistan on several occasions. Merah, who claimed allegiance to Al-Qaeda and had spent time in prison, died Thursday during a gunfight with police following a 32-hour standoff outside his apartment in the southwestern city of Toulouse. "The fact of belonging to a Salafist (ultraconservative Muslim) organization is not unto itself a crime. We must not mix religious fundamentalism and terrorism, even if naturally we well know the links that unite the two," Fillon said. Merah was placed on the U.S. no-fly list banning him from boarding any aircraft to the U.S. on suspicion that he could perform a terrorist attack. Beta Tanjug

French PM: Fundamentalism is no crime

"We don't have the right in a country like ours to permanently monitor without judicial authorization someone who hasn't committed an offense... We live in a state of law," he stressed.

The French police have extended custody of mother and brother of Merah who killed seven people in the name of Al-Qaeda, a well-informed source has said.

Merah’s brother Abdelkader’s girlfriend has also been remanded in custody. The three of them were arrested when police raided Merah’s building in the city of Toulouse.

The police have launched an investigation against Merah’s family members who are accused of terrorism-related crimes. They can be detained for four days for questioning.

The police and prosecutors have stated that Merah’s brother was a radical Islamist and that traces of explosives have been found in his car.

According to the prosecution, Merah committed the first murder after he had contacted his first victim, a 30-year-old officer, from his mother’s computer.

After a series of murders committed by the 23-year-old, the French public wonders whether the French intelligence services were careful enough bearing in mind that the Frenchman of Algerian descent had travelled to Afghanistan and Pakistan on several occasions.

Merah, who claimed allegiance to Al-Qaeda and had spent time in prison, died Thursday during a gunfight with police following a 32-hour standoff outside his apartment in the southwestern city of Toulouse.

"The fact of belonging to a Salafist (ultraconservative Muslim) organization is not unto itself a crime. We must not mix religious fundamentalism and terrorism, even if naturally we well know the links that unite the two," Fillon said.

Merah was placed on the U.S. no-fly list banning him from boarding any aircraft to the U.S. on suspicion that he could perform a terrorist attack.

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