Assassination Case of Ajaccio's Lawyer Antoine Sollacaro Culminates in 30-Year Prison Sentence

André Bacchiolelli, associated with the criminal group known as Petit bar, was sentenced to thirty years in prison by the Bouches-du-Rhône Assize Court for his role in the attempted murder linked to the 2012 assassination case involving Ajaccio's bâtonnier, Antoine Sollacaro. The case also involves the attempted killing of Charles Cervoni six weeks earlier, a connected incident that highlights the violent criminal context surrounding the case.

The trial proceedings were held behind closed doors to protect a key witness, Patrick Giovannoni, who had become an informant, underscoring the sensitivity and danger associated with this high-profile case. Bacchiolelli's conviction marks a significant judicial outcome in this long-standing violent criminal episode tied to the Petit bar organization, a notorious group implicated in Corsican crime.

This judicial sentence brings to closure a troubling chapter involving the targeted attack on a prominent lawyer from Ajaccio, reinforcing the French justice system's response to organized criminal violence. The trial's confidentiality and rigorous security measures demonstrate the complexity and risks of prosecuting cases involving entrenched criminal groups.