Authorities found responsible for Corsican activist's death in prison: French parliamentary report

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) - French authorities were found responsible for a Corsican activist's death in prison, according to a parliamentary report on Tuesday.

A parliamentary commission in charge of elucidating the circumstances of Yvan Colonna's death said the authorities in Arles prison were too "indulgent," the daily Le Figaro said.

Colonna and his inmate who killed him, Franck Elong Abe, were treated unequally, according to the report cited by the daily.

The commission members said Colonna was subjected to a "severe" penitentiary treatment despite his minor infractions in 18 months, while his inmate and assassin intensified excesses, aggressed penitentiary staff, attempted to suicide, and revolted.

Abe's troubled psychiatric situation was not properly evaluated by the prison chief, and the staff notified but did not report Abe's behavioral changes days before the attack.

The report also deplored lack of means in the Arles prison and the difficult working conditions of the prison staff with heavy profiles of detainees to deal with, Le Figaro further said.

The room where Colonna was killed was surveilled by cameras, but the agent who was in charge of the cameras said he saw nothing during the attack, due to lack of formation and busy schedule.

The aggression took 13 minutes and nobody intervened – an aspect with gray areas – according to the report.

The commission ended the report with recommendations, including an improved care of detainees with psychiatric disorders.

Abe attacked Colonna last year on March 2. Colonna succumbed to his wounds three weeks later, on March 21.

Colonna was sentenced to life for killing prefect Claude Erignac in 1998.

Abe was sentenced to prison for radical terrorism.