The mother of Seifeddine Rezgui, aged 23, who gunned down 38 people – 20 of which were British nationals – at the TUnisian resort of Sousse two weeks ago came to his defense. In an exclusive interview with Sky News the parents revealed his moments before the attack.

His mother, Radhia Manai said: “When I came back from work I found him playing with his brother and on his laptop. They took a picture together.He took a shower and changed his clothes, then he came to me and said ‘Mom I’m going to see a friend for a night and I need 10 dinars’.He hugged and kissed me and he left. From that moment I didn’t see him.”

Both the gunman’s parents believe he was brainwashed into carrying out the attack. “They got to my son. They used him and they framed him for the crime,” said his mother. “I can’t imagine he could carry out such an operation? He was carrying his weapon and was just walking. He didn’t fire it. I want to know who fired and then framed him.”

His distraught father, Abdul-Hakim Rezgui is in a state of shock. He says that his son loved football, dancing, reading and was a good student. He worked nights at a cafe to earn money to study in France. “I say to the tourists: God bless those who died. And God bless my son. My son was not capable of this. Bad guys tricked him and God will give him what he deserves,” says his mother.