Joseph Figueira Martin, an employee working for the American NGO Family Health International 360, who was incarcerated in the Central African Republic, has been released, the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced. Joseph Figueira Martin enjoys both Belgian and Portuguese dual nationality.
Figueira Martin is expected to arrive in the Portuguese capital Lisbon today. He was arrested in May 2024 and had been in prison in the Central African Republic, after being sentenced to 10 years’ hard labour in November 2025.
He worked for the American NGO Family Health International 360. Figueira Martin was convicted of “complicity in criminal conspiracy and undermining the internal security of the state” due to his contacts with armed rebel groups.
The Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, confirmed his release during a parliamentary hearing and stated that he was on board a military aircraft and on his way to Portugal.
According to Rangel, the release is the result of prolonged diplomatic efforts involving the former President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the current Head of State Antonio José Seguro, the Portuguese and Belgian governments, and the European Union.