The French doctoral student arrested on October 19 in Tunisia on the orders of the military justice system was released on Tuesday and returned to France this Friday, said the spokesperson for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Victor Dupont “was released from prison on November 12 and returned to France today” (Friday), declared Christophe Lemoine. “We are delighted that he can reunite with his loved ones”he added in response to a question on the national’s situation during the weekly press briefing at the Quai d’Orsay.
The detention of this doctoral student was announced on October 31 by the director of his research laboratory at Aix-Marseille University, Vincent Geisser.
“We are very happy. We have always been careful to explain that Victor was carrying out a scientific mission, a research mission”reacted the latter to AFP.
“Victor is a brilliant student who is part of a European program of excellence. He went through an ordeal but it will not, on the contrary, end his doctorate”he added.
Mr. Dupont, aged 27, is conducting research on the socio-professional trajectory of people involved at the time of the 2011 Revolution, the first popular uprising of the Arab Spring which put an end to the regime of Tunisian dictator Ben Ali.
He had arrived in Tunisia around ten days before his arrest to conduct interviews.
The reason for his arrest has not been officially communicated.
Questioned on Friday, the spokesperson for the Quai d’Orsay did not respond.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Higher Education, our embassy and our consulate in Tunis remained mobilized throughout this affair”he on the other hand underlined.
Tunisia is led by President Kais Saied, accused by the opposition and local and foreign NGOs of “authoritarian drift”. He was re-elected by an overwhelming majority of 90.7%, according to a result communicated on October 7, the day after the election.
