Jean Castex on Friday lifted the status of “particularly reported detainee” (DPS) of Alain Ferrandi and Pierre Alessandri, members of the Erignac commando, “in a spirit of appeasement” following the aggression of Yvan Colonna which provoked a series of demonstrations in Corsica, Matignon told AFP.
This status prevented them from approaching a Corsican prison.
This decision, which applies “without delay”, therefore paves the way for the two detainees to be reconciled in Corsica, an old claim that has become a major political tension on the island.
The Prime Minister had already tried to ease tensions on Tuesday night by raising, “for human reasons”, says the DPS status of Yvan Colonna, who was also sentenced to life imprisonment for the assassination of the prefect of Corsica. Claude Erignac in 1998.
But while the independence activist is in a coma following his attack on March 2 in his prison in Arles by a fellow prisoner imprisoned for terrorism, the gesture was considered by many as a provocation and did not prevent the multiplication of demonstrations and a night of riots Wednesday night.
In this context, Mr. Castex said he “strongly condemns” the violence, which saw the Ajaccio courthouse in particular targeted on Wednesday evening, “as well as the totally inappropriate remarks accusing the State of having intentionally lent hand in the very serious attack of which Yvan Colonna was the victim”.
“The conditions under which this unacceptable act might have taken place in a penal establishment must be elucidated in a rapid and transparent manner”, further pleaded the Prime Minister, recalling that he had launched an investigation by the General Inspectorate of Justice.
And Mr. Castex “proposed that once calm has returned to the island, the dialogue initiated in recent months on the evolution of the status of the community of Corsica, as well as on the major economic and social issues of the territory can resume “.
He therefore instructed the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin to “make proposals” to him in this direction.
On Thursday night, the autonomous president of the executive council of Corsica, Gilles Simeoni, called on the state to “open a new political cycle and make it clear that there is a Corsican issue”. And among the expected “strong signals” were also MM’s “immediate lifting of DPS status.” Alessandri and Ferrandi “and their transfer” to the Corsican prison of Borgo.
If Mr. Castex gave satisfaction on these points, “the bellows of popular anger might only fall a little or even a lot,” political scientist Thierry Dominici, a specialist in nationalist movements, assured AFP on Thursday.
