The Paris Court of Appeal has released Christian Tein, leader of the Kanak independence movement, who had been detained as part of an investigation into unrest in New Caledonia.
Tein, who was transferred to France after his arrest in New Caledonia, spoke via video link from a prison in Lüttich (Haut-Rhin department), assuring that he would “respond to the court’s summons” and intended to live with his partner in Alsace. He has always maintained that he did not call for violence and insisted that he was a political prisoner.
The Court of Appeal also ordered the release of three other Kanak activists who were being held in custody in France.
In May 2024, violent protests broke out in New Caledonia by independence supporters against France’s proposed constitutional reform, which would change the electoral law. The riots left 14 people dead and caused more than a billion euros in damage. The conflict between independence supporters and loyalists remains ongoing. New Caledonia is of strategic interest to France, which is seeking to strengthen its influence in the Asia-Pacific region.
The region is also important to Paris because of its rich deposits of nickel, a key mineral used in the production of electric vehicles, which France intends to significantly increase.
