Two years after the unrest in New Caledonia: Paris judges acquit Kanak activists, including Christian Tein

Paris – 06/05/2026: Two years after the violent riots in New Caledonia, Parisian judges have acquitted all members of the Cellule de Coordination des Actions de Terrain (CCAT), including their spokesperson Christian Tein, of the suspicion of organizing the disturbances. The decision is central to ongoing debates about the treatment of the Kanak independence movement by the French authorities. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has already announced it will appeal.

The CCAT, a group of Kanak independence supporters, was heavily involved in the mobilization during the riots in May 2024, which subsequently caused multiple deaths and significant material damage. Christian Tein, chairman of the Front de Libération National Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS), was arrested along with 13 other activists and transferred to France. They were accused of leading a secret organization and planning the violent actions.

The lengthy investigation has now resulted in acquittal: the judges found that the evidence for the serious charge was insufficient. In particular, the suspicions were mainly based on public statements made by the CCAT, without concrete indications of a secret strategy to incite violence. Additionally, it was documented that the group repeatedly called for de-escalation and calm during the riots.

Political groups reacted joyfully to the verdict. The party La France Insoumise saw the acquittal as confirmation of the presumption of innocence and criticized that the detention of the activists was politically motivated. They called for the establishment of a parliamentary inquiry committee to investigate the background of the 2024 events and the actions of the state.

Similar sentiments came from the Union Populaire pour la Libération de la Guadeloupe (UPLG). They called the decision a defeat for an alleged state-led repression attempt and emphasized the importance of solidarity with oppressed populations. The UPLG was sharply critical of the treatment of the Kanak activists by French authorities.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Paris, however, maintains the view that further investigation is necessary. It emphasizes the goal of fully identifying those responsible for the riots and bringing them to justice. Thus, a continuation of the legal proceedings over an extended period is expected.

For Christian Tein and his supporters, the acquittal represents an important interim victory. They have consistently stressed that they bear no responsibility for the outbreak of violence and that their actions were peaceful and legally justified. The coming weeks will show how the conflicts between political activism, state security policy, and judicial procedures in New Caledonia will develop further and what political consequences will arise.