Lilian Lepere is suing French radio and television stations after accusing them of endangering his life during the Paris attacks, the Guardian reports.
Seventeen people were killed in the attacks by Islamic extremists on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo’s offices on 7 January and two days later on a kosher supermarket and printing plant where hostages were being held. The three gunman – brothers Chérif and Saïd Kouachi and Amedy Coulibaly were also killed during police raids.
Lepere spent eight hours hiding in a cupboard under a sink in the north Paris printing plant until the attackers were gunned down by the police.
He escaped unharmed but has now said the media coverage risked his safety when at least three TV and radio stations revealed he may have been in the building while the gunmen were still inside.
“Delivering information without careful consideration may lead to endanger other’s lives. Journalists must think of it”, said Antoine Casubolo Ferro, Lepere’s lawyer.
According to the Guardian, radio station RMC was the first reveal that someone was still in the printing plant. Lepere’s sister later confirmed she thought her brother was trapped in the building on public television station France 2 and a TF1 television journalist also reported the information.
The prosecutor’s office in Paris has launched a probe into TF1, France 2 and RMC radio for revealing Lepere’s situation.
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