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Sciences PO

Sciences Po Paris Surveilled Pro-Palestinian Students: Report

A new investigation by French outlet Mediapart has exposed surveillance methods used by the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po Paris) against students who supported the Palestinian people following the Israeli occupation army’s offensive in Gaza that began in 2023.

According to Mediapart, students who actively opposed the genocide were photographed without their consent, observed during demonstrations, and monitored on social media. These surveillance mechanisms were activated in response to mass protests against Israel and were used to gather evidence for disciplinary proceedings against 48 students, 23 of whom were temporarily barred from accessing the Sciences Po Paris campus.

The investigation particularly implicates Pierre Catalan, then director of student affairs at Sciences Po Paris, who is presented as a key figure in this scheme, as reported by Turkish outlet AA. Students interviewed by Mediapart accuse him of collecting detailed information on activists from the Palestinian Committee and participating in their identification during blockades organized on campus.

Catalan allegedly created a fake social media account under a pseudonym to monitor the activities of mobilized students. In 2024, after being notified, the Sciences Po ethics committee determined that this action was unrelated to his official duties and was likely to create an intimidating environment, AA added.

Mediapart’s investigation also revealed that one of the disciplinary cases used as evidence a video recorded by the Israeli broadcaster Kan News, which infiltrated a student assembly in September 2025.

The students involved and their lawyers denounce a climate of repression against pro-Palestinian activism, while several disciplinary and legal proceedings remain ongoing, AA reported.

This report highlights the growing crackdown on pro-Palestinian voices in Western academic institutions, raising concerns about freedom of expression and the right to protest. The Global South News will continue to follow this story as it develops.

Categoria: Sciences PO