Joseph Figueira Martin, a Portuguese-Belgian humanitarian worker detained for nearly two years in the Central African Republic, was released this Tuesday, April 7, and is en route to Lisbon on a military flight. The release follows extensive diplomatic efforts involving former President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, current head of state António José Seguro, the Portuguese and Belgian governments, and the European Union. Martin had been sentenced to 10 years of forced labour in 2025 on charges of conspiracy and undermining state security, which his family and the European Parliament had denounced as an unfair trial amid reports of torture and deteriorating health.