Three years after his brutal murder, the parents of this asylum seeker of Ivorian origin may finally receive the remains of their son kept at Mater Dei hospital since April 6, 2019, the day when his path met death.
A memorial for Lassana Cisse will be held this Thursday, June 16 at the mosque of Paola at 9:30 am, according to reports in the Maltese press.
Cisse was killed in a drive-by shooting. Later, two men were arrested, both members of the Maltese armed forces, who were accused of racial crime. Their trial is still underway and both men, Francesco Fenech and Lorin Scicluna, are free on bail.
Cisse was 42-year-old when he lost his life on the corner of a street in Hal Far on his way home from watching a soccer game in a bar with friends.
That night, two other young men of African descent were shot from the same car, but their lives were saved.
Cissé's repatriation had been announced several times and postponed several others - due to the COVID-19 pandemic - according to the authorities, who had taken it upon themselves to cover any costs inherent in the young man's death.
Cisse had managed to survive the dangers of the Libyan desert and was earning a living through petty jobs. Only son of his parents, he leaves behind a grieving mother and two children in Ivory Coast
The ceremony will be celebrated by the Archbishop of Malta Monsignor Scicluna and Iman Mohammed El Sadil.