Alain Orsoni, a 71-year-old former separatist leader from Corsica, was shot dead on Monday during his mother’s funeral in the village of Vero, located about 30 kilometers east of Ajaccio, the capital of the French Mediterranean island, according to local prosecutors.
Public prosecutor Nicolas Septe told Reuters that Orsoni was struck by a single gunshot fired from a long distance, confirming the targeted nature of the killing. Local police later confirmed his death, and an investigation has been launched.
Orsoni was a former leader of the Corsican Movement for Self-Determination, which French authorities regarded as the political front of the armed group known as the National Liberation Front – Traditional Wing. The armed group was linked to a series of attacks on the island during the 1990s, some of which it had publicly claimed responsibility for.
In his earlier years, Orsoni was charged, convicted, and later pardoned in connection with a machine-gun attack on the Iranian Embassy in Paris in 1980.
Beyond his political past, Orsoni also served as president of football club AC Ajaccio during the previous decade, marking his presence in both political and sporting life on the island.
Authorities have not yet released details regarding possible suspects or motives, and the investigation remains ongoing.
