Paris supermarket hostages sue media outlet over siege coverage

Six survivors of the Paris kosher supermarket siege in January are suing a French media outlet for what they call dangerous live broadcasting during the hostage-taking.

According to Paris prosecutor’s spokeswoman Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre, the lawsuit was filed March 27 and a preliminary investigation was opened by the prosecutor’s office Wednesday.

The media outlet, CNN affiliate BFMTV, is accused of endangering the lives of the hostages, who were hiding in a cold room during the attack, by broadcasting their location live during the siege.

BFM in a statement Friday said one of its journalists “mentioned only once the presence of a woman hidden inside the Hyper Cacher, on the basis of police sources on the ground.”

“Immediately, the chief editor felt that this information should not be released. It therefore has subsequently never been repeated on air or posted on-screen. BFMTV regrets that the mention of this information could cause concern to the hostages, as well as their relatives, that their lives were in danger,” the statement said.

Gunman Amedy Coulibaly, also suspected in the slaying of a police officer, stormed the Hyper Cacher Jewish supermarket on January 9, killing four people and taking others hostage.

He was killed in the police operation to end the siege.

A 24-year-old supermarket employee, Malian-born Lassana Bathily, was hailed as a hero afterward when it emerged that he had risked his life to hide 15 customers from Coulibaly in the cold room.

The hostage-taking was the culmination of three days of terror in Paris that began with the January 7 shooting of 12 people at the offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

The two brothers blamed for that attack, Cherif and Said Kouachi, were killed on January 9 after a violent standoff at an industrial site.

The terror attacks claimed the lives of 17 people and put France on a heightened state of alert.

A police officer closes the bullet ridden door next to a body lying in a kosher grocery store in the Paris neighborhood of Porte de Vincennes on Friday, January 9. Amedy Coulibaly -- the man who authorities believe killed a policewoman Thursday south of Paris -- was killed when police stormed the store. A search is underway for suspected accomplice, a woman identified as Hayat Boumeddiene.

Forensics investigators gather outside the grocery store. French President Francois Hollande said four people were killed.

French police escort hostages away from the grocery store. At least 10 hostages managed to escape, according to a Paris police union spokesman.

Coulibaly was one of two people wanted in connection with the deadly shooting of a police officer south of Paris on Thursday, January 8. French authorities released photographs of Coulibaly, right, and Boumeddiene after the shooting.

Police mobilize at the scene in Paris. One of the hostages told CNN affiliate BFMTV that the gunman started shooting "as soon as he got inside" and killed two customers.

A police officer is seen at the scene of the standoff. Police union spokesman Pascal Disand said the hostage-taker, Amedy Coulibaly, demanded freedom for Cherif and Said Kouachi, the suspects in Wednesday's massacre at the Charlie Hebdo magazine office in Paris, who were simultaneously involved in a standoff wiith police northeast of Paris. Disand said the brothers and Coulibaly were part of the same jihadist groups.

A security officer in Paris directs hostages to safety.

Police forces launch an assault at the grocery store.

Large explosions could be heard around 5:10 p.m. (11:10 a.m ET).

Police take position by the grocery store.

Police ride on a truck bed near the grocery store.

Police forces gather at the scene of the standoff.

People are led away by police from an area near the standoff.

Vehicles are blocked on a road in Paris.

Police arrive with guns at the scene of the grocery store standoff.

French police on the move near the grocery store.

A police officer gives instructions to local residents in Saint-Mande, which is near Porte de Vincennes.

Police gather at the site of the standoff.

Hostage situation at Paris grocery

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CNN’s Ariana Williams reported from Paris, and Laura Smith-Spark wrote from London. CNN’s Pierre Meilhan contributed to this report.