A French space scientist traveling to a conference in the US was detained and deported after US border officials examined his smartphone and discovered messages critical of the Trump administration. The French Minister of Higher Education, Philippe Baptiste, expressed deep concern over this incident, emphasizing the importance of academic freedom and the right to free opinion. The US authorities accused the researcher of harboring potentially terrorism-related content, although subsequent investigations by the FBI were dropped. This event highlights ongoing tensions regarding academic freedom in international contexts.
"I learned with concern that a French researcher, on assignment for the French National Centre for Scientific Research, who was travelling to a conference near Houston was banned from entering the United States and then expelled."
"Freedom of opinion, free research, and academic freedom are values we will continue to proudly uphold. I will defend the right of all French researchers to be faithful to them, while respecting the law."
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