New Caledonia riots: Charges dismissed for independence leader Tein and Kanak activists, prosecution appeals

New Caledonia's pro-independence leader Christian Tein and Kanak activists from the CCAT group have been cleared of charges related to the 2024 riots. Paris-based investigating judges dismissed the case, finding no evidence that the mobilization aimed to undermine the Republic's institutions or attack the French state with arms.

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After a transfer of 17,000 km in undignified conditions, pre-trial detention for nearly a year away from his loved ones, political attacks and false accusations, a painstaking defense to demonstrate his total innocence, Christian Tein is completely cleared, like the others.

Despite the dismissal, the Paris prosecutor's office swiftly appealed the decision. The prosecution argues that further investigative actions are necessary before a final determination can be made. The case, initially opened in New Caledonia, was transferred to Paris in January 2025, with fourteen individuals indicted on suspicion of orchestrating the violence that gripped the South Pacific archipelago.

Tein's legal team hailed the ruling as a victory for justice, emphasizing his year-long detention and the alleged baseless accusations. "After a transfer of 17,000 km in undignified conditions, pre-trial detention for nearly a year away from his loved ones, political attacks and false accusations, a painstaking defense to demonstrate his total innocence, Christian Tein is completely cleared, like the others," his lawyers stated. They characterized the initial charges as a deliberate attempt to "silence a politician."

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It is the staggering finding of an initial action that aimed to silence a politician.

The riots in the spring of 2024 were among the most severe crises in New Caledonia's history, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to declare a state of emergency. The judicial investigation into the CCAT, which was central to the mobilization, sought to determine responsibility for the violence. The judges' decision to dismiss the charges, however, suggests a lack of conclusive evidence linking the accused to insurrectionary acts.

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We bet that the investigating judges in Paris would know how to tell the truth, prove the innocence of our clients, and we were right. A beautiful demonstration of what a rule of law is.