Central African Republic - January 2025

On 27 December, the Central African Republic’s (CAR) National Assembly passed a law protecting human rights defenders (HRDs), which it defines as, ‘individuals, journalists, activists, lawyers, organizations and institutions working to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms’. Among the law’s provisions are a series of HRD rights and state obligations, which are intended to enhance HRD security and facilitate their work. These include the right to receive financial and other support to achieve their human rights objectives, protections against searches and surveillance, and state obligations to prevent and protect HRDs against reprisals. Journalists and civil society activists in the country have been subjected to human rights abuses by both state security forces and armed rebel groups, and the passage of the law was welcomed as an important development in CAR’s democracy by UN expert, Yao Agbetse.

Sources: Loi portant promotion et protection des défenseurs des droits de l’Homme, United Nations, Front Line Defenders, Human Rights Watch