On arbitrary arrest and torture of Belgian-Portuguese researcher Joseph Figueira Martin in the Central African Republic

B100323/2025

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on arbitrary arrest and torture of Belgian-Portuguese researcher Joseph Figueira Martin in the Central African Republic

(2025/2797(RSP))

The European Parliament,

having regard to Rule 150(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

Whereas on 26 May 2024, Joseph Figueira Martin a Belgian-Portuguese citizen working for an US NGO, was detained by the Wagner Group in Zémio, Central African Republic, under the pretext of being the holder of two passports;

whereas he was accused among other crimes of financing and coordinating activities for armed groups, and undermining the security of the state;

whereas from 5 July 2024 he has been held in Camp de Roux, a military prison for the most high-profile prisoners, and has been awaiting legal proceedings ever since; whereas the penalties for the charges brought against him are life imprisonment and forced labour;

whereas the July 2024 Minusca report denounced widespread torture and ill-treatment in detention centres in the Central African Republic, non-compliance with legal time limits for holding a person in police custody, excessive use of pre-trial detention and poor conditions of detention;

Calls on the Central African authorities to end Joseph Figueira Martin’s prolonged detention without trial and ensure due process without undue delay before an independent and impartial court;

Calls on the authorities to respect the right to the presumption of innocence and to comply with the legal time limits for holding a person in detention; stresses that pre-trial detention should remain exceptional, justified only by necessity and proportionate to the circumstances; highlights that according to the United Nations Human Rights Committee, the right to a speedy trial serves to avoid uncharged people being held for prolonged periods in detention;

Considers that in case the authorities don’t have enough evidence to bring this case to trial, after more than a year of detention, Joseph Figueira Martin should be released;

Calls on the judicial authorities to uphold and respect its international obligations under the African Commission on Human Rights and People's Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Central African Republic is a party, and notably Article 14 thereof on the right to a fair and timely trial before independent courts of law and based on clear charges and ensuring the respect of the defendants’ rights;

Demands to investigate the allegations of torture; calls on the authorities to ensure that he is granted unrestricted access to adequate and timely medical care, and that he is protected from torture;

Denounces the presence of the Wagner Group and urges to hold them accountable for their abuses against civilians;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the EU institutions, Member States, and the Central African authorities.