The brother of the Berlin terror attack suspect said he deserves ‘every condemnation’ if he is guilty of the Christmas market massacre.
Abdelkader Amri said the family ‘rejects terrorism’ and suggested they would cut ties with fugitive brother Anis Amri if he was found to be behind the atrocity.
Speaking from his home in Tunisia, another brother, Walid, 30, revealed he had not heard from Anis in two weeks.
Their parents, who live in the town of Oueslatia, are being questioned by police as authorities continue to hunt for Anis, who has a 100,000 euro reward on his head.
Most wanted: Walid Anis, right, the brother of terror suspect Anis Amri, left, says he has not had contact with Europe’s most wanted man for a fortnight.
Manhunt: The ISIS killer behind Germany’s worst terror attack since 1980 on Monday night has been given an 18 hour head start after police bungled the probe – Amri’s blood may have been in the cab and believe the driver is injured
German authorities have revealed there is a 100,000 euro (£84,000) reward for information leading to his capture
Speaking today, Abdelkader said: ‘When I saw the picture of my brother in the media, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I’m in shock, and can’t believe it’s him who committed this crime.’
But, he added, ‘if he’s guilty, he deserves every condemnation. We reject terrorism and terrorists – we have no dealings with terrorists’.
Truck driver Walid said Anis first left Tunisia for Italy in 2011 but ‘always wanted to go on to Germany to find work. Three or for years later he managed that.’
Authorities said he wandered into Germany via the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, lived in North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin.
His brother added: ‘He told me often that he couldn’t find a flat In Germany and was sleeping here and there. But during our last contact two weeks ago he said everything was good with him.
Link? A Facebook profile in his name shows ‘likes’ linked to Tunisian terror group Ansar al-Sharia, a Tunisian group with followers linked to extremists who murdered 22 at Tunis’ Bardo Museum in March 2015 and then 39 tourists at a beach resort in Sousse
‘He comes from a family of nine children and always sent money back to us. I don’t know where it came from. We live as a struggling family, we live a totally normal life.’
He said he last communicated with his brother over Facebook two weeks ago and does not have a mobile number for the fugitive.
‘We are as shocked as everyone else in the world,’ he added. ‘We have no contact to Isis. I only learned my brother was being hunted over Facebook.
A group of refugees from the Tempelhof emergency shelter were seen laying flowers near the site of the attack
‘I am affected the same as everyone else by this news.’
Sister Najoua said: ‘I was the first to see his picture and it came as a total shock. I can’t believe my brother could do such a thing.
‘He never made us feel there was anything wrong. We were in touch through Facebook and he was always smiling and cheerful.’
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