Death of Yvan Colonna: “failures of extreme gravity”


The parliamentary commission of inquiry delivered its report on the circumstances leading to the assassination of the nationalist detainee in March 2022. His family plans to file a complaint.





From our correspondent in Bastia, Julian Mattei

Yvan Colonna’s family plans to file a complaint after the conclusion of errors that led to his murder in prison.
© PASCAL POCHARD-CASABIANCA / AFP

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” Ihe seriousness of the faults committed is such that it does not seem possible to allow oneself to be convinced by their exclusively involuntary nature. Me Emmanuel Mercinier-Pantalacci sets the tone. A few hours after the publication, on Tuesday, of the parliamentary inquiry report responsible for clarifying the circumstances of the assassination of Yvan Colonna by a fellow prisoner in March 2022 at the central house in Arles (Bouches-du-Rhône), the he lawyer for the nationalist’s family does not budge.

“The conclusions of this report confirm two realities that anyone familiar with this file already knew, supports the criminal lawyer. Firstly, the status of particularly flagged prisoner (DPS) was imposed on Yvan Colonna throughout his incarceration on the basis of a political and not a legal motivation, having the purpose of inflicting a double sentence on him. Secondly, this assassination was made possible by extremely serious shortcomings committed within the penitentiary; failures constituting criminal offenses likely to lead us to file a complaint in the coming days. A series of “failures” and “errors.” These are indeed the final conclusions of the commission chaired by the nationalist deputy Jean-Félix Acquaviva.

“It is a radicalized jihadist who assassinated Yvan Colonna. Not the French State”

The commission, which heard 71 people during these six months of work, also notes a “lack of surveillance” within the prison of Arles, having allowed Franck Elong Abé, a former jihadist in Afghanistan, to fatally attack , for about ten minutes, the nationalist prisoner sentenced for the assassination of the prefect Erignac, in 1998.

READ ALSOAggression of Yvan Colonna: “two active prefects” would have been delightedThe work of the deputies was followed closely in the Corsican political world. And for good reason: the indignation linked to this affair had largely spilled over into the streets and gave rise, in March 2022, to the opening of a process of discussions between the government and the elected islanders. Process supposed to lead to a possible “autonomy” of the island. “The truth is slowly creeping in,” says Jean-Charles Orsucci, (Renaissance) mayor of Bonifacio. This tragic death is the result of a series of mistakes by prison authority. This report highlights it. It is a radicalized jihadist who assassinated Yvan Colonna. Not the French state. Even if he should never have been in Arles but in Borgo. »

READ ALSOCorsica: a year later, the gray areas surrounding the murder of Yvan ColonnaThis close to the presidential majority hopes that the conclusions of the deputies will put an end to the conspiracy theories which have flourished on the island since the death of the nationalist. It also highlights the repeated refusals of the authorities to grant a request for reconciliation in a Corsican prison of Yvan Colonna, because of his placement under the status of DPS. This point is also part of the 29 recommendations made by parliamentarians: an “imperative” reform of this status, as well as the improvement of the care of detainees, a fortiori those “radicalized and dangerous. »

“The search for truth will lead to appeasement”

“One can only wonder about this category of detainees who need to be particularly observed and neutralized, supports Jean-Martin Mondoloni, leader of the right-wing opposition in the Assembly of Corsica. This case once again highlights the state of degradation of the prison environment which no longer surprises anyone, and which reflects many public policies in our country. »

Michel Castellani, autonomist MP for Haute-Corse goes further and calls on the State to learn the lessons of this affair through its prison policy. “How can a particularly flagged prisoner like Franck Elong Abé, with such a chaotic prison career, find himself with such freedom of movement and without supervision?, he asks. These are serious dysfunctions and the prison administration must learn the lessons of this tragedy. »

In a tense context on the island, where the resumption of attacks comes on top of the difficulties encountered in discussions with the government, the nationalist elected official does not hide the political dimension of this report, which he links to “the research of truth that will lead to appeasement. Because the future of the island and the relations between the nationalist majority and the government are also intimately linked to the follow-up that will be given to the work of parliamentarians.




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