"Christian Tein, an Indigenous Kanak leader, was arrested in New Caledonia in June 2024 over allegations that he had instigated the deadly pro-independence protests that had taken place on the island a month earlier. He was charged with various offences, including complicity in attempted murder and organised theft with a weapon, all of which he denied. Tein was then flown to France, 10,600 miles away, on a private chartered plane and incarcerated until June of this year."
"In October, he was cleared to return home by a Paris appeals court after most of the charges against him were dropped. However, Tein says he is unable to return because French authorities have not re-issued him with a passport. It's been a while since I submitted my passport application, Tein said in an interview in Montpellier. But we can see that [the French government] are deliberately dragging it out. A year in solitary confinement, it was very, very hard, Tein said of his stint in prison. Psychologically, you never come out of this kind of situation unscathed, added Tein, who is now living in Alsace in north-east France."
Christian Tein is an Indigenous Kanak pro-independence leader who was arrested in New Caledonia in June 2024 on allegations of instigating deadly protests. He faced charges including complicity in attempted murder and organised theft with a weapon, which he denies. French authorities flew him to France on a private charter and he remained incarcerated until June. In October a Paris appeals court cleared him to return home after most charges were dropped. French authorities have not reissued his passport, preventing his return. Tein accuses the government of deliberately delaying the application. He spent a year in solitary confinement and reports lasting psychological harm. He remains under formal investigation for conspiracy and organised robbery. New Caledonia (Kanaky) is an overseas French territory in the south-west Pacific.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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