London (BBN)-Mohammed Emwazi’s father has claimed there is “no proof” his son is Jihadi John and threatened legal action against anyone making the link.
The 26-year-old was named last week as the masked British Isis militant made notorious by the group’s gory propaganda videos showing the beheading of hostages, reports UK-based newspaper The Independent.
Emwazi’s father, who moved his family to the UK more than 20 years ago, told Kuwait's Al-Qabas newspaper that “false rumours” were circulating.
Jihadi John Jassem's lawyers said that because Jihadi John's face is covered no one could be sure it was Emwazi.
“There is nothing that proves what is being circulated in the media, especially through video clips and footage, that the accused is my son Mohammed, who is being referred to as the alleged executioner of Daesh (Islamic State),” Jassem Emwazi said, according to a translation by AFP.
He has reportedly hired a lawyer to defend the family against the “allegations” and prove that claims Mohammed is Jihadi John are false.
Jassem’s statements contradict previous reports that his wife had recognised their son’s voice in the video showing the beheading of American journalist James Foley.
Kuwaiti officials claimed Jassem told police his wife, Ghania, screamed: “That’s my son!” when she heard him speak last August.
The couple and their family have been questioned by Kuwait’s interior ministry since Emwazi was alleged to be Jihadi John.
Their son was denied entry to his country of birth several times, most recently in 2013, while he was under surveillance by MI5.
Jassem’s lawyers have reportedly been instructed to file lawsuits against anyone making accusations against him and his family.
Speaking to ITV News, one a member of the legal team said: “There's no evidence this is his son. His face is covered (in the Isis videos).”
Experts have compared recordings of Emwazi’s voice in 2009 to that of Jihadi John in the beheading films to assert they are the same man.
Teachers and friends of Emwazi have also claimed to have recognised him and a man said to be Jassem’s former colleague told reporters that his family were devastated in 2013 when he asked their permission to go to Syria.
Emwazi was born in Kuwait before coming to Britain at the age of six.
He attended Quintin Kynaston Academy and the University of Westminster in the London.
BBN/AS-04Mar15-5:20pm (BST)