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Ilan Halimi.
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Last update - 00:00 19/02/2006
France arrests gang suspected in killing of Parisian Jew
By Assaf Uni, Haaretz Correspondent

PARIS - The French police arrested late Thursday night most of the members of the gang that abducted, tortured and murdered Ilan Halimi, a 23-year-old Jew from Paris.

Hundreds of SWAT officers raided apartments in Bagneux and arrested 12 people. Another suspect was arrested in Belgium.

"They acted with indescribable cruelty," the judiciary police chief leading the investigation said. "They kept him naked and tied up for weeks. They cut him and in the end poured flammable liquid on him and set him alight."
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While the citizens of France were shocked by the unbridled violence of the gang, Halimi's family claims that the murder was motivated by anti-Semitism.

"We think there is anti-Semitism in this affair," Rafi Halimi, Ilan's uncle, told the press.

"First, because the killers tried to kidnap at least two other Jews, and second, because of what they said on the phone," Rafi Halimi added. "When we said we didn't have 500,000 euros to give them they told us to go to the synagogue and get it," Rafi said. "They also recited verses from the Koran."

But the Paris public prosecutor, Jean-Claude Marin, told Parisian Jewish radio on Thursday that "no element of the current investigation could link this murder to an anti-Semitic declaration or action." The umbrella group of French Jewish secular organizations, CRIF, issued a statement Friday calling on the Jewish community "to keep calm, cautious and wait for developments in the investigation."

Ilan Halimi's family points to the behavior of the kidnappers in their ransom negotiations, which began a few days after Ilan disappeared. Halimi was abducted on January 21 after a woman came into the mobile phone store where he worked and charmed him into a dinner date. The woman had been sent by the gang, which calls itself "The Barbarians." A police source said the gang is a group of childhood friends who grew up in Bagneux, a suburb south of Paris. The gang includes Muslims of North African descent and is headed by Youssef Fofana, who has escaped police capture so far. According to Marin, the gang had made six similar abduction attempts in the past.

After overpowering Halimi, the gang brought him to an apartment in a high-rise in Bagneux. They contacted Halimi's family and over the next three weeks demanded ransoms ranging from 300,000 to 500,000 euros. According to reports, at one point they agreed upon a deal and set a meeting place but the kidnappers backed out and eventually ended contact.

A source in the Jewish community said the gang's behavior suggested that the motive behind the kidnapping was violence for its own sake, particularly against Jews.

"Why didn't they release him when the realized the family couldn't pay ransom?" asked Sami Gazlan, who is responsible for security in the Jewish community.

Last Monday, a few days after the kidnappers ended contact with the family, Ilan was found near a suburban train station south of Paris, naked, handcuffed and gagged, with burns covering 80 percent of his body. He died on the way to the hospital.

The first break in the case came on Thursday after the police released an Identikit image of the woman suspected of "baiting" Halimi. The woman turned herself in out of fears that neighbors would identify her, and identified the apartment where Halimi had been kept.

The store where Halimi had worked was closed Saturday. Several shops in the area, the 11th arondissement, were closed on Friday, with signs explaining that it was a gesture of sympathy for Halimi's family. Many of the shopkeepers were among the 1,000 or so people who attended Ilan Halimi's funeral in the Pantin cemetery.

Dozens of family members returned home, in the 12th arondissement, to begin sitting shiva after the funeral. Walking back, accompanied by police officers, relatives expressed their shock at the murder.

"We are in total shock," a close friend of Ilan's said Saturday. "All of us, Ilan's mother especially, have not yet begun to comprehend what happened."
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  1.   French Cowards Covering up for Islamists 08:21  |  Melanie 19/02/06
  2.   Olmert`s Yassam Police brutalize Jews worse 08:24  |  Melanie 19/02/06
  3.   Olmert MUST IMMEDIATELY disband the brutal Yassam Police 08:30  |  Melanie 19/02/06
  4.   WHAT ARE THE JEWS DOING IN FRANCE IN 2006 08:35  |  Michael Iosif 19/02/06
  5.   Something worth rioting about 08:54  |  Ron 19/02/06
  6.   Sad news and heart breaking. 09:32  |  e.m 19/02/06
  7.   Ha`Aretz!! Is this BARBARIC action 09:45  |  Ari ben Yisrael 19/02/06
  8.   Melanie 11:04  |  G 19/02/06
  9.   Murder of Parisian Jew 11:22  |  sean o reilly 19/02/06
  10.   Keep calm and wait ??????????? 11:44  |  Casey 19/02/06
  11.   Melanie 11:45  |  sean o reilly 19/02/06
  12.   Melanie 11:45  |  sean o reilly 19/02/06
  13.   FRENCH JEWS ARE BECOMING COWARDS... 12:12  |  Claude 19/02/06
  14.   Face facts! 12:21  |  Emerald 19/02/06
  15.   NO INSPIRATION FOR FRANZEN BRIAN DUTCH etc HERE 12:30  |  HATE OF ISRAEL 19/02/06
  16.   Ilan Halimi 12:57  |  rich 19/02/06
  17.   Ilan 13:00  |  Alan 19/02/06
  18.   Muslim cowards 13:05  |  Nehama 19/02/06
  19.   Where are the Jews????? 13:08  |  Nehama 19/02/06
  20.   IS THERE A POSITIVE SIDE IN HAMAS? 13:19  |  jean mariell 19/02/06
  21.   See the details... 13:25  |  Nethanel 19/02/06
  22.   Baruch Dayan Emet 14:10  |  Ya`akov N. Miles 19/02/06
  23.   This is just a taste of things to come 14:10  |  Ezra 19/02/06
  24.   Aliyah 14:11  |  Mike 19/02/06
  25.   people going nuts.. dont you see it has nothing to do with..? 14:42  |  bainem 19/02/06
  26.   North African Jews hated by all sides 14:51  |  Susan 19/02/06
  27.   Don`t say SEMITE for JEWS ONLY 15:25  |  teacher fed up with 19/02/06
  28.   Yes, stay calm on the outside, keep your anger for now inside 15:31  |  Tom Smitsloo 19/02/06
  29.   This Melanie person is out of control. Not good for anyone! 15:39  |  Tom Smitsloo 19/02/06
  30.   History-again repeated 15:46  |  Pam 19/02/06
  31.   French Justice! 15:53  |  Bendelak 19/02/06
  32.   Jews in Paristan? Not for long 16:06  |  Alain 19/02/06
  33.   You teacher? Did you learn silent respect to dead?? 16:10  |  Alain 19/02/06
  34.   Tom 16:12  |  christoph 19/02/06
  35.   enough taqyia, bainem 16:26  |  Gaby 19/02/06
  36.   Melanie.. SHAME 16:28  |  Leah 19/02/06
  37.   GET OUT OF FRACNE 16:39  |  No Prophet 19/02/06
  38.   #4 Losif 17:10  |  David Muzikant 19/02/06
  39.   to 37 17:17  |  Israel Singer 19/02/06
  40.   He did not die alone 17:20  |  Leah 19/02/06
  41.   Melanie 17:31  |  Liz 19/02/06
  42.   A March of Sympathy in Paris 17:39  |  Georges 19/02/06
  43.   to Israel Singer 17:41  |  Gaby 19/02/06
  44.   A march of sympathy in Paris 17:44  |  Georges 19/02/06
  45.   TO SECULAR JEWS IN FRANCE: ( A JEW IS A JEW IS A JEW) 17:47  |  Michael Iosif 19/02/06
  46.   Chechens historically targeted Jews for hostage taking 18:15  |  Boris 19/02/06
  47.   Ilan Halimi 18:47  |  Kim. UP THE WALL 19/02/06
  48.   Speak out, French 18:50  |  Kim. UP THE WALL 19/02/06
  49.   #27 "TEACHER" 19:15  |  yoav 19/02/06
  50.   #13 19:37  |  Dennis Slapo 19/02/06
  51.   Situation in France 20:39  |  keren 19/02/06
  52.   Ilan Halimi 20:57  |  Johanna 19/02/06
  53.   to Gabi #43 21:48  |  Israel Singer 19/02/06
  54.   Israel am chai 21:57  |  Bessie 19/02/06
  55.   An ATROCITY 22:19  |  Vicky 19/02/06
  56.   to Losif 22:45  |  robert pienica 19/02/06
  57.   53 vicky 23:00  |  alan 19/02/06
  58.   where`s the "Jewish" media when you need it? 23:43  |  Matt 19/02/06
  59.   Violence in France 23:52  |  Mel 19/02/06
  60.   antisemitism means JEW hatred 00:17  |  Susan 20/02/06
  61.   Hey Amira Hass? 00:20  |  frustrated Jew 20/02/06
  62.   Alyah for all of them! 01:07  |  Jeesnowitz 20/02/06
  63.   brutal murder of llan Halimi 01:09  |  Joseph L. Sarpy 20/02/06
  64.   Beginning of the end 01:15  |  semsem 20/02/06
  65.   To Rich 01:58  |  Philippe 20/02/06
  66.   French TV News Hid he was Jewish 02:10  |  semsem 20/02/06
  67.   What will happen ? 03:15  |  Naji 20/02/06
  68.   AMIR HASS 03:19  |  NEIL 20/02/06
  69.   alan #55 03:23  |  Vicky 20/02/06
  70.   CALLING ALL JEWS UNITE YOUR KEYBOARDS AND PENS 03:26  |  NEIL GOLAN 20/02/06
  71.   MUSLEM SINNERS 03:40  |  NAJI 20/02/06
  72.   READ IT BROTHERS 03:41  |  NAJI 20/02/06
  73.   zionists jumping to conclusions to distract from crimes 03:54  |  Johanes FRANZEN 20/02/06
  74.   peace 03:57  |  noah 20/02/06
  75.   #73, you are sick. 05:11  |  ketket 20/02/06
  76.   Heartbroken and Johanes FRANZEN 05:14  |  Robert 20/02/06
  77.   JEWS DONT CAPITULATE! FRANCE IS YOURS: PUNISH MURDERERS! 06:18  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 20/02/06
  78.   #73 saddens me 06:35  |  Joe 20/02/06
  79.   Very Sorry 06:45  |  Indian Joe 20/02/06
  80.   zionist juifs an insult to islam. this was selfdefence act 07:34  |  suha arafat 20/02/06
  81.   shabatt 07:47  |  Yossie 20/02/06
  82.   #75 KNOW THAT, #73 IS A NAZI CARD HOLDER 08:35  |  NEIL 20/02/06
  83.   #76 PHONY 08:44  |  HATE YOU 20/02/06
  84.   To Johanes Franzén 12:04  |  Kenneth Frisk 20/02/06
  85.   The 40`s are back! 15:54  |  Neo 20/02/06
  86.   Don`t jump into conclusions, french are smart 16:25  |  Sara 20/02/06
  87.   French Police 16:31  |  Antoine 20/02/06
  88.   get out of europe 20:31  |  Josh 20/02/06
  89.   Moderate Muslims still AWOL 22:03  |  jeff 20/02/06
  90.   French denial 00:42  |  DAVID STEINBERG 21/02/06
  91.   Franzy go to austria 00:48  |  DAVID STEINBERG 21/02/06
  92.   French in major denial! 01:00  |  sara 21/02/06
  93.   Semite for Jews only 01:04  |  DAVID STEINBERG 21/02/06
  94.   To: madame FED UP TEACHER 01:13  |  fed up teacher2 21/02/06
  95.   From a french Jew 06:04  |  Abraham Finkelstein 21/02/06
  96.   Ilan 09:35  |  Ruben Halimi 21/02/06
  97.   ilan halimi 12:26  |  stan kohls 21/02/06
  98.   Cheap jewish blood 14:51  |  Henry 21/02/06
  99.   I will pray for llan Halimi insjaallah 20:50  |  warda 21/02/06
  100.   Ilan "only happened" to be Jewish I guess 06:08  |  Frank 22/02/06
  101.   Illan Halimi 19:49  |  Rosalinda 22/02/06
  102.   Claude- Americans are armed 20:04  |  Marc 22/02/06
  103.   French Gang Killing 00:34  |  Gabrielle 23/02/06
  104.   Let`s keep two separate issues separate 11:35  |  Fed up lawyer 23/02/06
  105.   Continuation 11:37  |  Fed up lawyer 23/02/06
  106.   An awful crime 12:22  |  Jack 23/02/06
  107.   Tragedy of Halimi 13:55  |  Lee 23/02/06
  108.   Peace ? 18:35  |  MeOnlyMe 23/02/06
  109.   When will this horror be discussed in the US? 18:56  |  Robin 23/02/06
  110.   Face facts! 01:11  |  f 24/02/06
  111.   enough taqyia, bainem 01:39  |  f 24/02/06
  112.   GET OUT OF FRACNE 01:42  |  f 24/02/06
  113.   #66 02:04  |  f 24/02/06
  114.   Animals as allways 02:49  |  tony 24/02/06
  115.   Fighting Anti-Semitism 03:24  |  Suzy 24/02/06
  116.   answer:When will this horror be discussed in the US? 03:25  |  Cathy 24/02/06
  117.   Illan Halimi 11:29  |  michael nicholas dim 24/02/06
  118.   Illan Halimi 11:29  |  michael nicholas dim 24/02/06
  119.   we must look after ourselves 12:04  |  louie 24/02/06
  120.   ENOUGH 16:34  |  Joe 24/02/06
  121.   French Cowards Covering up for Islamists 01:23  |  Yochi Rabinovitz 25/02/06
  122.   Come to Patagonia 01:36  |  Bob 25/02/06
  123.   Ilan Halimi 22:41  |  Sabrina 25/02/06
  124.   ISRAELI POLITICIANS MUST CONDEMN THIS ACT AND DEMAND JUSTICE 12:38  |  RIVA SCHERTZMAN 26/02/06
  125.   Evil Fiends like these islamists!!!! 14:17  |  Mitzi 26/02/06
  126.   Melanie and the anti semitic france 17:17  |  Moshe 27/02/06
  127.   Come to the US 23:18  |  JJ 02/03/06
  128.   Barbaric! 00:37  |  Tova 04/03/06
  129.   Our beloved Ilan 23:56  |  Florence 04/03/06
  130.   Political Correctness KILLS AGAIN 10:28  |  Scott DiVin 13/07/06
  131.   I`M SO SORRY 06:08  |  Ambra 11/05/07
  132.   Horrible--but fortunately a unique incident 18:29  |  Dan 25/03/09
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