Justice granted him this Tuesday the adjustment of sentence which he claimed for years. Detained for 24 years, Pierre Alessandri, one of those sentenced to life imprisonment in 2003 for the assassination in Corsica of the prefect Claude Erignac, will be able to benefit from a probationary semi-freedom.
“This probationary semi-release measure will take effect on February 13, 2023, for a period of one year. Subject to the proper execution of this semi-freedom measure, Pierre Alessandri will then be admitted to the conditional release regime, for a period of ten years, ”said the Attorney General, Rémy Heitz, in a press release.
“Of course, it’s a great relief,” reacted to AFP his lawyer, Eric Barbolosi. “It is only the strict application of the law that has been respected. For the first time in the Court of Appeal, the magistrates endeavored to decide on the criteria which must condition a conditional release by disregarding the particular nature of this file, ”added Me Barbolosi.
Three requests for release
Imprisoned since 1999, releasable since 2017 after having served his eighteen years of security period, Pierre Alessandri has already made three requests for release. Each time, in October 2019, in July 2021, then in May 2022, the court for the application of anti-terrorism sentences had given the green light to a conditional release with probationary semi-freedom, but the decisions had then been reversed by the court. appeal after a suspensive appeal by the national anti-terrorist prosecutor’s office (Pnat).
The third request, granted at first instance two months after the death in prison of the assassin of the prefect Erignac, Yvan Colonna, had been reversed in September. At the end of October, this rejection had itself been canceled by the Court of Cassation, sending the case back to be examined again by the Court of Appeal. The highest court of the judiciary had considered that the sentencing chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal had not “justified its decision” to refuse release.
The semi-freedom measure will allow Pierre Alessandri to work outside the Borgo prison (Haute-Corse) – where he was transferred in April 2022 – during the day, in the agricultural sector. Prior to his incarceration, he operated an essential oil production company.
Alain Ferrandi, the other member of the Erignac commando still alive and who was also refused several adjustments to his sentence, will be fixed on February 23 on his last request for parole.