On October 19, 2024, Tunisia authorities arrested Victor Dupont–a doctoral student at the Institute for Research and Studies on the Arab and Muslim Worlds (IREMAM), a joint research program affiliated with the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Aix-Marseille University–on spurious charges of “endangering state security.”
At the time of his arrest, Dupont was conducting doctoral fieldwork examining the career paths of former Arab Spring activists. The protests, which took place in 2011, led to the end of the Tunisian dictator Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali’s regime. The Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education had reportedly approved the project.
On October 19, Dupont was arrested along with several of his friends, outside their apartment by Tunisia police officers. According to Vincent Geisser, director of IREMAM, “[Dupont] was detained by Tunisian police on Saturday, October 19, taken to an interrogation centre, placed in custody, and the same day brought before a military judge.”
On November 12, after high-level diplomatic discussions, Tunisia authorities released Dupont, and three days later, he returned to France.
Scholars at Risk is concerned about the imprisonment of a scholar in apparent retaliation for his scholarly activity. State authorities have a responsibility to refrain from restricting or retaliating against expressive activity, so long as it is nonviolent and responsible. In addition to the harm to the immediate victim, arbitrary detentions undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.
Sources:
https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20241031-french-phd-student-held-in-tunisia-since-october-19-supervisor-says
https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2024/10/31/un-doctorant-francais-detenu-en-tunisie-depuis-le-19-octobre_6368705_3212.html
https://www.reuters.com/world/french-phd-student-detained-tunisia-breach-state-security-charges-lab-director-2024-10-30/
https://semomm.hypotheses.org/1033
https://liberte-academique.fr/le-chercheur-victor-dupont-prisonnier-scientifique-en-tunisie-doit-recouvrer-immediatement-sa-liberte/
https://www.lepoint.fr/monde/tunisie-victor-dupont-un-jeune-doctorant-francais-a-ete-arrete-par-la-justice-militaire-30-10-2024-2574097_24.php
https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/quand-je-descends-du-taxi-je-le-vois-plaque-contre-un-mur-par-4-ou-5-hommes-en-civil-un-doctorant-francais-de-27-ans-arrete-en-tunisie-20241101
https://www.wric.com/news/u-s-world/ap-a-french-student-who-was-arrested-and-detained-in-tunisia-returns-to-paris/