A pro-independence leader, Christian Tein, from New Caledonia has been charged over deadly riots last month and will be sent to France along with the group’s communications chief Brenda Wanabo. Tein was the first of 11 people arrested to be charged after the violence that resulted in nine deaths and significant damage.
Authorities have not disclosed the specific charges against Tein, but it includes armed robbery and complicity in murder. Tein’s lawyer expressed surprise at his client being transferred to a prison in Mulhouse, eastern France. Wanabo’s representative stated she would be sent to Dijon.
The legal system’s handling of the crisis has been criticized, with accusations of politicized decisions. Riots erupted in mid-May over an electoral reform that indigenous Kanak people felt marginalized them further. The French government blamed Tein’s CCAT for the violence, leading to a deployment of troops.
Source: Example News