Freedom of expression is one of the basic rights and freedoms of people. The essence of human rights is that all people should have the same rights and that these rights apply to everyone without explanation.
Today, there are enough States that accuse other States that carry the flag of these principles. “Cradle of democracy” France occupies the first position on this list.
Yesterday the French government committed another misfortune. Thus, the well-known activist Kemi Seba, who fights for the rights of African peoples, was arrested in Paris. According to the information, K. Seba was arrested while having lunch with a colleague in a restaurant.
He is known as one of the symbolic leaders of the movement for African independence and sovereignty and actively fights against neocolonialism, that is, he is one of the main critics of neocolonialism. In 2024, he was stripped of his citizenship for publicly criticizing the French government and supporting movements for the independence of its overseas territories.
The French authorities repeatedly arrested K. Seba to force him to resign from his position. He is one of the important figures in Africa’s struggle for independence, who opposed the policies of neocolonialism for many years. His arrest, in addition to being a violation of freedom of expression and political activity, demonstrates once again that France attempts to maintain its presence and influence in Africa through illegitimate means. Such actions show that the French state has not yet come out of its colonial mentality and is trying to maintain its hegemony.
We can say unequivocally that Kemi Seba is a political prisoner and his detention is directly related to his political activities.
Why did France, which declares itself the “standard of democracy” in the world, target Seba? It can be said with certainty that an active human rights defender was arrested a few days ago for criticizing France at an international conference dedicated to neocolonialism in Baku.
At this point the opinions expressed by K. Seban in Baku are worthy of mention. He said France does not take into account the violations it has committed and the problems its colonies face. K. Seba declared that Baku will become an important international platform where the problem of colonialism will be raised at the global level. One of the most serious accusations is that French intelligence has announced that it will increase pressure on those who oppose colonial policy in Africa.
He noted that the Baku Initiative Group is working hard on fighting France’s colonial policy in Africa and other regions: “We came here because we are tired of the oppression of the West. We are here in Azerbaijan because we seek “I think Baku It will support us for a certain period of time or in the long term. “We are looking for sincere friends here and we see a sincere friend in the Baku Initiative Group.”
Thus, K. Seba accused not only France, but Europe as a whole, of demonstrating the colonial system even today.
“I am in Baku because I know what Baku can do for us and I believe that together we will do great things. Furthermore, as France supports Armenia, we naturally support Azerbaijan,” said the head of the NGO.
He also said that he has been fighting imperialism for 25 years and witnessed discrimination against black people during this time.
“The French regime arrested me twice. I was detained twice in France and twice in Africa. I was lucky to be released. France can still influence the black population of Africa, it declares that it needs the presence of the West to keep it in its tracks. hands and continue their activities throughout their diasporas,” said K. Seba.
He previously said that despite the presence of rich mineral resources, the African population cannot use them, while the French oligarchy benefits from these resources.
By the way, the Baku Initiative Group strongly condemned the illegal detention of Kemi Seba, a well-known activist fighting for the rights of African peoples, by French law enforcement agencies. “This illegal step is not only a serious violation of personal freedom and human rights, but must also be considered as pressure directed at the struggle of African peoples against neocolonialism and the right to sovereignty,” the statement underlines. .
In addition, the press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Aykhan Hajizade, commented on the detention of the activist by French law enforcement agencies. According to him, the adoption of preventive measures against P. Durov and K. Seba is a violation of fundamental human rights in France:
“The French side should carry out the relevant investigation in a completely transparent and fair manner, and the international community should be informed accordingly. We believe that such politically motivated detentions in France should be investigated by the relevant institutions of the European Union, the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and should receive an appropriate evaluation.”
It is interesting that organizations that describe themselves as defenders of human rights and freedoms continue to remain silent. If such an event had occurred in any other country, they would have reacted immediately. The international community, human rights defenders and international organizations should condemn this illegal act and call on the French government to release Kemi Seba immediately and unconditionally.
The freedom of movement of all persons within the framework of the law is inviolable and no State has the right to deprive persons of this right by force. Most importantly, this event is a manifestation of France’s long-standing neocolonial policy in Africa. For this reason, to begin the true process of decolonization in the region, solidarity must be demonstrated at a global level.
Information Agency “Informe”
