many gatherings throughout Corsica

In front of the cathedral of Ajaccio (Corse-du-Sud), a few dozen Corsicans are gathered, on the evening of Tuesday March 22, in memory of Yvan Colonna. “Out of respect for the dead, out of respect for the family, as a sign of mourning, and on a human level”comments a woman. “I think it’s a duty for all Corsica to be there”, argues a man. The emotion is strong on the island, because Yvan Colonna is a symbol for the autonomists. Sentenced for the assassination of the prefect Claude Érignac in February 1998, he has always claimed his innocence. “We need culprits, culprits at all costs. Perhaps we have the profile of the people who are responsible for this action, but we have nothing to do with it”said Yvan Colonna in May 1999.

After four years on the run in the maquis to escape police pursuit, he was arrested in 2003 in a sheepfold. Since then, his conditions of detention have been a political issue. The government, which has always refused requests for transfer to a Corsican prison, has reviewed its partition following its ultra-violent attack at the prison of Arles (Bouches-du-Rhône). For three weeks, demonstrations have followed one another on the island. Recently, the executive agreed to initiate discussions on the autonomy of Corsica. On the evening of Tuesday March 22, he also promised that two of his accomplices would be transferred to the island before mid-April.