Shepherd Yvan Colonna was found guilty today of killing France's top government representative in Corsica in 1998 and sentenced to life in jail.
The murder of Claude Erignac was the most serious political assassination in France since World War Two and marked the peak of nationalist violence on the Mediterranean island.
The 47-year-old Colonna denied killing Erignac and accused erstwhile friends in the nationalist movement of hiding the identity of the real murderer during his month-long trial. "I am innocent," he repeated in French and Corsican as the verdict was read out.
His father, sister and brother broke down in tears and other supporters cried "liberta", freedom in Corsican. Colonna raised his handcuffed arms towards his family and said: "Don't cry".
His lawyers announced they would appeal against the verdict. A new trial will be organised in about a year. "For us, the fight has only just begun," said defence lawyer Antoine Sollacaro. Prosecutors failed to produce eyewitnesses placing him at the scene of the killing on February 6th, 1998, when Erignac was shot in the back of the head as he walked to a classical concert.
However, they told the court during the trial that circumstantial evidence and initial statements from known nationalists made it clear Colonna pulled the trigger.
"Yvan Colonna was the person who that evening shot at the victim three times, putting three bullets into the head of a man because he had been sentenced to death and because he was a symbol of the state and of liberty," state lawyer Yves Jannier said in summing up yesterday.