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Yvan Colonna

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Yvan Colonna
Born(1960-04-07)7 April 1960
Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France
Died21 March 2022(2022-03-21) (aged 61)
15th arrondissement of Marseille, France
Occupation(s)Shepherd, political activist
OrganisationNational Liberation Front of Corsica

Yvan Colonna (Corsican: Ivanu Colonna, [iˈvanu koˈlɔnna]; 7 April 1960 – 21 March 2022) was a French Corsican nationalist convicted for assassination. He was the son of Jean-Hugues Colonna, a former member of the National Assembly for the Socialist Party elected in the Alpes-Maritimes and a recipient of the French Légion d'honneur. Colonna was killed in prison by another inmate.

Early life

He was born in Marseille, France, on 7 April 1960. In 1975, his family moved to Nice. After he completed his Baccalauréat (French high school), he studied to become a teacher of physical education and sports. He broke off his studies in 1981, going to Corsica, and moved to Cargèse where his brother later opened a beach bar. There, he took up goat herding, a common occupation in Corsica. Even if he wasn't born in Corsica, he wanted to do something with people of Corsica. Naturally, he joined a nationalist militant faction close to the FLNC, and is suspected in several terrorist acts in the region. He is notably suspected to have taken part in an attack at the police station in Pietrosella. [citation needed]

Role in the assassination of Prefect Érignac

A banner erected by members of Ghjuventù Indipendentista calling for the release of Yvan Colonna. Many banners and graffiti, in and around University of Corsica Pascal Paoli in Corte, show support for the FLNC and Corsican independence.

On 6 February 1998 at 9:05 pm, the prefect of Corsica, Claude Érignac, was assassinated as he exited a theatre onto rue Colonna-d'Ornano in Ajaccio. He was shot receiving three 9 mm bullets in the neck, and died shortly thereafter. The weapon was shown to be one of the weapons stolen in the attack on the Gendarmerie Nationale station in Pietrosella on 6 September 1997.[1]

An enquiry followed, which resulted in the arrest of several militants. Interrogation pointed towards Yvan Colonna as the culprit. Police went to question him, but he had already fled. This sparked the biggest manhunt in French history, and Colonna was thought to have left the country, possibly for South America. However, an infrared camera set in the mountains of Corsica, near Vico as surveillance of a bergerie, a traditional Corsican stone hut, yielded evidence that Colonna was hiding here. He was arrested on 4 June 2003.

Charged with assassination and being a member of a terrorist organisation, he was arraigned before the court of special cases in Paris from 12 November 2007. The court was in session until 12 December 2007.[2] During his internment awaiting trial, he repeatedly claimed innocence, and that he was the victim of unfair press coverage, convicting him before trial. On 13 December 2007, Colonna was pronounced guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. He later appealed.

On 20 June 2011, Colonna's conviction was upheld on appeal.[3] He was serving his life sentence in the Toulon-La Farlède detention centre.[4]

Death

On 2 March 2022, Colonna was attacked in prison by Franck Elong Abé, an Islamist 36 year-old Cameroonian inmate, reportedly for "disrespecting prophet Muhammad".[5] In response there was violent unrest across Corsica.[6] He died at hospital of his wounds on 21 March 2022, at the age of 61, after three weeks in a coma.[7]

References

  1. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 31 March 2009. Retrieved 13 February 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ "Le Monde - Toute l'actualité en continu". Le Monde. Archived from the original on 8 March 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2007.
  3. ^ "Erignac killer Colonna to stay in jail". BBC News. 21 June 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  4. ^ "Yvan Colonna à la prison de Toulon". France 3 (in French). 31 August 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  5. ^ "Yvan Colonna est mort, trois semaines après son agression par un détenu radicalisé en prison". www.leparisien.fr (in French). 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  6. ^ "Protests intensify in Corsica one week after prison attack on separatist leader Colonna". uk.news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  7. ^ "Yvan Colonna: Corsican nationalist dies after jihadist jail attack". BBC. 21 March 2022.
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