Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

The dad of an Algerian ­student killed in a ­forgotten murder has accused Scottish ­prosecutors of treating him like an “imbecile”.

Student Meryem Elbah, 30, was found dead at a tower block in December 2017.

Within days, police said they were following a “definite line of inquiry” and a European arrest warrant has been issued for a suspect who cannot be named for legal reasons.

But Meryem’s dad Abdelkrim Elbah has grown frustrated at the lack of progress.

He claims a man has been arrested in Algeria only after he made an independent complaint to their police.

Abdelkrim said the case has been left in limbo because of a lack of communication from the Crown Office.

He said: “I’ve been in turmoil since the death of my daughter. It’s the worst thing that can happen.

(Image: DAILY RECORD)

“I went to Scotland and I ­collected her body, I met police and they told me that they were progressing with the case.

“They identified a suspect but the Crown Office now seem to think justice has been done with the issuing of an arrest warrant, even if it takes 100 years for a suspect to be brought to trial.

“During the last meeting that I had with the Crown Office and procurator fiscal, they treated me like an imbecile.

“They seem to think that because I’m a Muslim Arab, I’ll be not able to fight for justice for my daughter.

“They’ve told me arrest ­warrants have been issued – both domestic and European – but it’s now 18 months since the murder.

“A man was arrested in Algeria on May 26 but only after I made a complaint to police there.

“I’ve been told no information has been passed on from the Crown Office in Scotland yet.

“The man was in custody for three nights and is now under judicial control but the Algerian authorities will need information from Scotland to put him in ­custody again.”

Meryem moved to Glasgow to start a new life in August 2016 and had attended college to improve her English, with the hope of going on to study law. Her body was found at a property in the city’s Blythswood Court on December 2, 2017.

Abdelkrim added: “I fear that I still have a long fight on my hands if there’s ever going to be justice.

“I hope that by speaking to the press it’ll put pressure on the authorities – there needs to be international action taken.”

The Crown Office refused to comment but the Sunday Mail understands prosecutors are not aware of an arrest in Algeria.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Inquiries are ongoing and a warrant has been granted for a named individual.”