French Parliament Launches Investigation Into Verdict on Mrs. Sarah Halimi Murder

The Union of Democrats and Independents (UDI), a centrist, liberal political party in France, announced on Wednesday that a parliamentary commission of inquiry would be established to investigate the brutal murder of French Jewish citizen Mrs. Sarah Halimi, Hy”d, who was thrown from her apartment window by her neighbor Kabili Troare.

The committee was initiated and will be headed by Meyer Habib, a French-Israeli UDI legislator who represents French expats in Eastern Mediterranean countries, including Israel.

Mrs. Halimi, Hy”d, a 65-year-old French Jewish retiree, was murdered by Traore in Paris in 2017. Traore shouted, “All-hu akbar,” G-d is the greatest, in Arabic and said she “killed the devil” after the murder.

Earlier this year, the final court of appeal on criminal cases in France upheld an earlier verdict that Traore was not responsible for the murder, because he committed it during a psychotic episode triggered by use of cannabis.

The verdict sparked outrage in France and in Jewish communities worldwide. French President Emmanuel Macron said he would seek a change in the law following the case, because “deciding to take drugs and then ‘going crazy’ should not, in my opinion, take away your criminal responsibility.”

Within the framework of its authority, the commission can summon police officers, witnesses, judges, ministers and others to examine the conduct of the police and justice system as it pertains to Halimi’s murder.

“I’m thrilled to announce that in a few weeks, a parliamentary commission of inquiry will be formed to look into the deficiencies surrounding the case of Sarah Halimi,” Habib said. “The UDI party chose the proposal I submitted, in order to shed light” on the affair.

“I will do… everything in my power to expose the truth,” he added.