Press release
Geneva – March 16, 2024
The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has called for the immediate release of Christian Kongang, former president of the Association of African Students and Trainees in Tunisia.
Kongang was arbitrarily detained and transferred to the Rosary Center following a routine procedure to obtain his new residence card. CFJ condemns this action and demands an end to the targeting of Kongang due to his civic and student activism.
The Association of African Students and Trainees in Tunisia revealed that Kongang, like numerous other students, pursued his education in a private
university in Tunisia. Despite submitting all necessary documents for the renewal of his residence, he found himself detained in the Rosary Center without clarity on the reasons for his incarceration or its duration.
The association emphasized that Kongang’s detention occurred outside any legal framework, branding the Rosary Center, where he is held, as a de facto illegal detention center despite its designation as a residence and orientation facility.
Christian Kongang, in his role within the Association of African Students and Trainees in Tunisia, staunchly defended the rights of foreign students, particularly in the aftermath of the February 2023 crisis and subsequent violations against students.
CFJ asserts that the arbitrary measures against Kongang are seemingly a reprisal for his activism defending the rights of foreign students and his stance during the February 2023 crisis.
CFJ urges Tunisian authorities to release Kongang immediately and unconditionally, provide him with his identity documents and valid residency, and cease targeting him for civic and student activism. It underscores the importance of Tunisian authorities upholding individual rights and adhering to international laws concerning freedom of movement and arbitrary detention.
