Imprisoned without Trial in the Central African Republic, Daily Brief 5 June 2025.

Most times, when I write about individuals in this newsletter, I have never met them in person.  

With Joseph Figueira Martin, it’s different. 

I worked with Joe, a Belgian-Portuguese citizen, at the International Crisis Group in Brussels for several years. I knew him as a stand-up guy, respected by colleagues for being smart, reliable, and caring. 

That was years ago, and our paths have long since diverged. I moved on to Human Rights Watch. Joe became an expert on conflict and conflict management, working for several organizations in central Africa. We kept in distant touch over the years in the typical way of former professional colleagues.  

Then, Joe was arrested by Russian forces in the town of Zemio in the Central African Republic.  

Yes, Russian forces. They’re in lots of places across central and western Africa these days, including the Central African Republic, where they’ve committed abuses, like torturing and killing civilians.  

At the time of his arrest, Joe had been conducting research for FHI 360. It’s an American organization aimed at reducing poverty, expanding economic opportunities, and preventing gender-based violence. 

That was in May 2024. Joe has been in detention for more than a year. He’s being held in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, in a military prison for the most high-profile prisoners.  

He’s not been found guilty of any crime. There’s been no trial, not even a date set for one. 

The authorities in the Central African Republic accuse him of all sorts. They claim he was financing and coordinating activities for armed groups, one of which the government considers a terrorist organization. There’s a raft of other accusations, including undermining state security. 

The Central African government has repeatedly stated it has substantial evidence against him. So, why not send this case to trial? 

His family has been desperately seeking to move Joe’s case forward, convinced he can explain what he was doing in the country – that he was there to help the Central African Republic, not destabilize it.  

Everyone has a right to trial without undue delay. That’s a key element of the right to a fair and public trial before an independent and impartial court.  

It’s well past time for the authorities to end Joe’s prolonged detention without trial and ensure due process takes its course. 

And if the authorities don’t have enough evidence to bring this case to trial – after having a year to gather it – they should let Joe go.