France approves restricted return of Kanak official to New Caledonia

A French court has ruled that one of the seven individuals transferred to mainland France following the unrest in New Caledonia in May 2024 will be allowed to return home.

The individual in question is Frédéric Muliava, a former official of the New Caledonian Congress, Caliber.Az reports, citing the New Zealand public broadcaster RNZ.

Muliava was among a group of seven people charged in connection with the May 2024 riots.

Under the latest court order, Muliava will be permitted to resume work upon returning to New Caledonia but will be prohibited from contacting anyone related to her case or participating in any public demonstrations.

Just four days after her arrest in Nouméa in June 2024, Muliava and six others were flown to mainland France on a specially chartered plane. They were charged with serious criminal offences, including complicity in attempted murder and armed robbery, and have since been held in separate detention facilities while awaiting trial.

In January 2025, jurisdiction over the case was transferred from judges in New Caledonia to judges on the French mainland.

By Tamilla Hasanova