Press Release
French PhD student Victor Dupont returned to Paris on Friday, November 15, after being released from detention in Tunisia following intense diplomatic and human rights pressure.
Christophe Lemoine, spokesperson for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed at a press conference that Dupont was released on Tuesday, November 12, and returned to France after spending several weeks in prison over allegations of “endangering national security.”
Lemoine stated that the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintained continuous communication with Tunisia’s Ministry of Higher Education and the French Embassy in Tunis to monitor Dupont’s case from his arrest to his release. He added that French diplomatic efforts focused on safeguarding Dupont’s rights as a PhD student conducting academic research in Tunisia.
– Case background:
Victor Dupont, 27, was arrested on October 19 at his home in a suburb of Tunis, along with three friends visiting from France. While his friends were released on the same day after questioning, Dupont remained in custody for several weeks. His PhD dissertation, initiated in 2022, focuses on the socio-economic conditions of participants in Tunisia’s 2011 revolution, sparking controversy over the legitimacy of his detention and the charges of threatening national security.
– Calls for respecting freedoms:
In response, the Committee for Justice calls for the protection of academic freedom and the independence of researchers. CFJ emphasizes that the incident underscores the difficult environment faced by journalists, researchers, and civil society activists in Tunisia amidst escalating judicial crackdowns and security restrictions.
