Central African Republic (CAR)

Armed confrontations continue to affect the Central African Republic and security remains a major preoccupation for human rights defenders. Freedom of expression, association and assembly is extremely limited in the CAR and human rights defenders and journalists who denounce human rights violations by government soldiers regularly face arbitrary arrests, judicial proceedings, death threats, serious harassment and intimidation, and slander. Human rights defenders have been persecuted following their denouncement of violations carried out by the security forces, such as looting of property, torture, rape and murder of civilians.

Defamatory campaigns aimed at discrediting human rights defenders are orchestrated at the highest level. The President of the Republic, Mr François Bozizé has allegedly described human rights defenders and members of NGO's as 'protectors of criminals'.

Political and economic instability in the CAR means that the rights of human rights defenders and civilians are violated on a daily basis.