The Paris Court of Appeal ordered on Thursday (June 8th) the release under judicial control of the independence activist Charles Pieri, who was incarcerated in a case relating to terrorist offenses, said a source close to the case.
Following his indictment on 9 December in a judicial investigation into the threat of the FLNC's return to armed struggle, the Corsican National Liberation Front, Charles Pieri, 72, was imprisoned. A judge of freedoms and detention (JLD) of the court of Paris had decided Friday not to extend his pre-trial detention. But the anti-terrorist prosecutor's office (Pnat) appealed this decision.
'A totally justified decision'
The investigating chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal confirmed on Thursday the non-extension of the provisional detention of Charles Pieri, who is placed under judicial control with the obligation not to reside in Corsica, said the close source. "Despite the maneuvers of the Pnat who tried everything to thwart the release of Charles Pieri by appealing the order of the JLD within a quarter of an hour and by hearing this case on the day scheduled for his release, the investigating chamber confirmed" his release, responded to AFP one of his lawyers, Me Eric Barbolosi. "It is a decision totally justified in view of the elements of the file and his state of health" in particular, he added, stressing his "very great satisfaction".
In this case, Charles Pieri and seven other people are indicted for unauthorized acquisition and possession of category B weapons in connection with a terrorist enterprise, refusal to communicate or use an encryption key. The activist of the pro-independence party Corsica Libera, who disputes the charges, was the only one to be imprisoned.
" READ ALSO Corsica makes war on second homes
In a statement, transmitted on September 2, 2021 to the regional daily Corse-Matin, the FLNC had threatened a return to armed struggle on the island if the French state continued "its policy of contempt". Corsica has experienced a proliferation of arson attacks on second homes, most often accompanied by nationalist tags. On several occasions, the tag "Freedom for Charles Pieri" in Corsican language was discovered on these burned houses. This release comes the day after a meeting in Paris between Corsican elected officials and the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin on the constitutional future of the island.