Deputies of the National Assembly’s commission of inquiry into the “dysfunctions” that allowed the fatal attack on Yvan Colonna visited the Arles prison (Bouches-du-Rhône) on Monday where the facts took place, found AFP.
On March 2, 2022, the Corsican independence activist who was serving a life sentence for the assassination of the prefect Claude Erignac, was violently attacked in the prison sports hall by Franck Elong Abé, a 36-year-old man who was serving several sentences, including one of nine years for “terrorist criminal association”.
Yvan Colonna would eventually die from his injuries after three weeks in a coma. His attack and his death had triggered a very strong emotion in Corsica, with demonstrations interspersed with violence.
At the end of November, the National Assembly voted to create a commission of inquiry “responsible for shedding light on the dysfunctions within the prison administration and the judicial system which led to the assassination” of the Corsican activist .
Two legal proceedings are also open: one for “assassination in connection with a terrorist enterprise”, the other for violation of the secrecy of the investigation.
A report by the General Inspectorate of Justice (IGJ) estimated that the supervisor in charge of the wing where the Corsican separatist was located had shown a “clear lack of vigilance” by staying, “without any reason, away” from the place of the facts which lasted nine minutes.
This supervisor and the former director of the prison will be the subject of “disciplinary proceedings”, Elisabeth Borne announced in July.
The group of nine deputies notably went to the scene of the attack. Similarly, he was able to see the “information and circulation post” where the supervisor was positioned, who must in particular manage the movements of detainees and potentially has images from 46 surveillance cameras, via a screen on which he can view nine. simultaneously after selecting them.
However, like his colleagues, he “had not been trained in the correct use (of this) equipment, however essential”, had noted the IGJ. The training has since been carried out, assured the prison officials to the delegation, which was also to meet behind closed doors with the members of the local “DPS commission” (particularly reported detainees). Yvan Colonna and Franck Elong Abé both had this status.
27/02/2023 20:00:32 – Arles (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
