What changed

European Parliament resolution on the case of Joseph Figueira Martin in the Central African Republic

B100094/2026

(2026/2572(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas Joseph Figueira Martin, a dual Belgian-Portuguese citizen and humanitarian researcher working for the non-governmental organisation FHI 360, was kidnapped on 26 May 2024 in the Central African Republic (CAR) by the Wagner Group while working on a development project and was later handed over to the CAR authorities;

having regard to its resolution of 10 July 2025 on the case of Joseph Figueira Martin,

B. whereas he was held in solitary confinement at the OCRB in Bangui in a Wagner-operated facility and was tortured; whereas he remained in detention for over a year in inhumane conditions without access to medical care and without trial;

whereas Joseph Figueira Martin, a Belgian-Portuguese humanitarian researcher working for the NGO FHI 360, was kidnapped on 26 May 2024 in the Central African Republic (CAR) by the Wagner group, and later handed over to the CAR authorities;

C. whereas on 4 November 2025, a criminal court in Bangui found Mr Martin guilty of offences including complicity in criminal conspiracy and undermining state security, sentenced him to 10 years of forced labour, and ordered him to pay 50 million CFA francs in damages and civil compensation, on the basis of unfounded accusations;

whereas the charges brought against him by the CAR authorities are based on unfounded accusations; whereas he remained in detention for over a year without a trial; whereas he was tortured and threatened with death and held in inhumane conditions without medical care, leading to serious deterioration of his health with numerous infections, repeated bouts of malaria and near blindness in one eye;

1. Recalls that, in its resolution of 10 July 2025, Parliament demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Mr Martin; deplores the continued non-compliance of the CAR authorities, which is further aggravating his situation;

whereas on November 4, 2025, a Criminal Court sentenced Joseph Figueira Martin to ten years of hard labour based on forged charges of espionage and terrorism notably; whereas his trial was marked by numerous intentional procedural errors; whereas he appealed against this sentence;

2. Demands that the CAR authorities immediately and unconditionally release Mr Martin; stresses that the continued deprivation of liberty of an EU citizen in these circumstances remains unacceptable, in the light of serious concerns regarding due process and the fairness of proceedings;

whereas armed groups operating in the CAR have been carrying out illegal and arbitrary arrests and detentions; whereas Russia-linked actors are spreading a pattern of foreign disinformation, notably against humanitarian workers, and manipulation operations in CAR;

3. Urges the CAR authorities to immediately authorise Mr Martin’s medical evacuation, in view of the serious deterioration of his health and the onset of visual impairment, and, meanwhile, to guarantee immediate and unhindered access to specialised medical care, including by independent doctors, and to legal counsel, consular assistance and family visits, in full compliance with international human rights standards;

whereas the EU supports CAR population, providing humanitarian, security and development aid, and fill the gap left by other donors; whereas respect of human rights, democracy and governance are priority areas of partnership with ACP countries under the Samoa Agreement;

4. Calls on the Commission, the VP/HR and the Council, in coordination with Belgium and Portugal, to impose targeted sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, on all individuals responsible for the arbitrary detention, mistreatment and conviction of Mr Martin, should the CAR authorities persist in violating his rights;

Urges the CAR authorities to overturn the conviction of Joseph Figueira Martin and immediately and unconditionally release him;

5. Calls for an ad hoc mission from Parliament to the CAR to assess Mr Martin’s situation and increase the pressure for his release;

Calls on the HR/VP and Member States to take all possible steps, in coordination with Belgian and Portuguese authorities, to secure Joseph Figueira Martin’s release and ensure his rights are upheld including access to legal defence, consular assistance, and adequate healthcare;

6. Insists that any judicial proceedings, including any appeal proceedings, strictly comply with due process guarantees enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the CAR’s national legal framework, as their violation constitutes an infringement of fundamental rights;

Urges the EU and its Member States to critically engage with the CAR authorities to ensure the protection of the humanitarian workers and the upholding of their rights in respect of the international humanitarian law;

7. Reiterates its call on the Council to list the Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation;

Reiterates its call on the Council to include the Wagner Group on the EU terrorist list; expresses deep concern over growing politically motivated foreign interference in the CAR, including through Russian paramilitary forces and disinformation campaigns; calls on the CAR authorities to ensure that armed groups immediately cease illegal and arbitrary arrests and attacks against humanitarian and NGO workers;

8. Stresses the duty of the EU and its Member States to protect humanitarian and development workers in all circumstances, and condemns their arbitrary arrest, detention or prosecution; underlines that such acts violate international humanitarian law and the rights of humanitarian workers;

Calls on the EU to strengthen the protection of humanitarian workers and for the establishment of a European mechanism for the protection of humanitarian workers worldwide;

9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the VP/HR, the Government and Parliament of the Central African Republic, the African Union and the United Nations.

Calls on the Council and the HR/VP to consider the adoption of targeted restrictive measures against those responsible of Human Rights violations in CAR, including related to the arbitrary detention of Joseph Figueira-Martin;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the HR/VP, the Member States, the AU, the UN, and the Government and Parliament of the CAR.