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Corsican Nationalist Alain Orsoni Killed at Mother's Funeral as New Anti-Organized-Crime Office Takes Case

Investigators treat the sniper‑style killing as an organized‑crime hit rooted in longstanding Corsican rivalries.

Overview

  • Orsoni, 71, was fatally struck by a single long‑range shot at the cemetery in Vero on January 12 as mourners looked on.
  • France’s new national anti‑organized‑crime prosecutor (Pnaco) and the Marseille specialized jurisdiction (JIRS) are co‑seized, marking Pnaco’s first formal referral.
  • Police recovered one projectile at the scene, forensic work is underway with an autopsy planned, and the gunman remains at large.
  • Lines of inquiry include a vendetta tied to island banditry and possible links to the Petit Bar network and to Orsoni’s son, who was convicted in 2025 for a rival’s attempted murder.
  • A former FLNC figure and ex‑AC Ajaccio president, Orsoni had returned from years abroad, previously surviving a 2008 assassination attempt, and his killing at a funeral has shocked local norms.