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The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
French court releases New Caledonia independence leader detained over deadly riots
A French court freed an independence leader from the overseas territory of New Caledonia who had been detained for a year over deadly riots in 2024. Christian Tein, who is indigenous Kanak , was charged and incarcerated over the rioting on the Pacific archipelago in May last year that left more than a dozen dead. He has been held in custody in eastern France since June 2024 but has always denied accusations of instigating the violence and sees himself as a political prisoner. In a hearing attended by Agence France-Presse, the Paris appeals court ordered the release of Tein on Thursday after a video call with him in which he promised to respond to future judicial summons and to live with his partner in eastern France. They ordered his release under judicial control on condition he does not return to New Caledonia nor enter into contact with other suspects in the case, a source close to the case said. Prosecutors have lodged an appeal. One of Tein's lawyers, Francois Roux, on Thursday hailed what he called 'a first victory'. 'This is a decolonisation case that is being followed by the United Nations,' he said, adding it was regrettable to see 'pro-independence activists being treated like terrorists'. New Caledonia, nearly 17,000km (10,500 miles) distant from mainland France, in the Pacific Ocean, is one of several overseas territories that remain part of France.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
French court orders release of New Caledonia pro-independence leader
FILE PHOTO: People demonstrate as French President Emmanuel Macron's motorcade drives past in Noumea, France's Pacific territory of New Caledonia on May 23, 2024. LUDOVIC MARIN/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo PARIS - A French appeals court ordered New Caledonia pro-independence leader Christian Tein freed from prison on Thursday, affirming a lower court ruling after deadly riots in the French Pacific territory last year. "The Paris Court of Appeals confirmed the order for Christian Tein's release and his placement under judicial supervision," a judicial source said, without providing more details. In spring 2024, violent protests swept New Caledonia after French lawmakers approved a plan to grant voting rights in the territory to thousands more French citizen residents. President Emmanuel Macron declared a state of emergency. Indigenous Kanaks feared the change would dilute their votes and make it harder for an independence referendum to pass. In June 2024, police arrested Tein, who led an offshoot of Caledonian Union called the Field Action Coordination Cell (CCAT), which organised protest barricades across the capital Noumea. He was extradited to France that same month. France scrapped the voting overhaul in October 2024. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Téin released from French jail after appeal fails
New Caledonia's CCAT leader Christian Téin speaks during a press conference held at Union Calédonienne headquarters in Nouméa. Photo: RRB A Court of Appeal in Paris on Thursday ruled for the release of Kanak pro-independence leader Christian Téin from custody, almost one year after his arrest in New Caledonia. His release conditions include regular judicial summons and residing at his partner's residence, in north-eastern France, which is also a region where he spent the past twelve months in jail, pending his trial. In an earlier ruling on 3 June, the three magistrates, after interviewing Téin on 27 May, found there were insufficient grounds to keep him in custody. Their initial ruling, which was upheld on Thursday after appeal, was that the Kanak leader should be released from jail, but that he should be kept under judicial supervision and prevented from returning to New Caledonia or interfering with persons related to the case. This was appealed by the public prosecution . Téin, 57, is the head of a Field Action Coordinating Cell (CCAT), a group created late 2023 by New Caledonia's largest and oldest pro-independence party Union Calédonienne. Reacting to the latest ruling, one of Téin's defence lawyers said this was "a first victory, but the battle goes on". The same ruling of "release under judicial control" also applied to four other militants who also spent the past twelve months in several prisons in mainland France. Since his arrest in June 2024 and his transfer (with others) by plane from New Caledonia to mainland France, Téin has been jailed in Mulhouse. In late August 2024, Téin, from his Mulhouse jail, was also nominated, in absentia, president of the pro-independence Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), of which the Union Calédonienne party is a dominant member. In January 2025, the case, initially investigated out of Nouméa, was removed from the former investigating judges in Nouméa and transferred to a panel of three Paris judges. On 30 May, another person part of the group that was transferred to France in June 2024 was allowed to return home to New Caledonia - Frédérique Muliava, a former Congress staffer . French president Emmanuel Macron confirmed he would host fresh political talks to foster a comprehensive agreement between all tendencies (pro-independence and pro-France) of New Caledonia's political spectrum. Photo: Screenshot Présidence de la République française Speaking to Pacific leaders earlier this week in Nice, France , at a 'Pacific-France' summit on the margins of the UN Oceans conference, Macron said he would host the New Caledonian talks in Paris, in the "coming weeks". Macron said this fresh roundtable was part of efforts to come up with "a new project". He told Pacific leaders building a political solution for New Caledonia was still work in progress "with a lot of humility, together."
