In the Central African Republic, hundreds of detainees who have been imprisoned longer than the legally permitted detention period are receiving free legal assistance through a new initiative led by local lawyers and backed by the United Nations. The program, launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, seeks to address chronic injustices in the country’s legal system and to restore respect for fundamental human rights.
The effort involves ten lawyers from the Central African Republic Bar Association, who have volunteered their services to review cases of detainees who remain in custody beyond the lawful timeframe for pretrial detention. According to legal observers, more than 500 people in Bangui alone are currently being held past the legal limit, many of them destitute and without access to legal representation.
Fabien Johnny Yerima, one of the attorneys participating in the initiative, explained the team’s mission: “If there are detainees here who have exceeded the legal detention period, we will take it upon ourselves to write to the competent judicial authorities to request that these deadlines be respected, or at least that these individuals be released, because they are being detained beyond the legal period of free preventive detention.”
Since its launch in July, the project has already provided initial legal consultations to approximately 150 detainees. These consultations are crucial in identifying irregularities in detention, ensuring compliance with legal deadlines, and escalating unresolved cases to higher judicial authorities. In many instances, lawyers have uncovered cases where detainees were forgotten in the system, their files left unattended for months or even years.
The United Nations, which is financing the initiative, has described it as an important step toward strengthening the justice system in the Central African Republic. Chronic issues such as overcrowded prisons, underfunded courts, and a shortage of qualified legal representation have long undermined the protection of human rights in the country. By offering free legal support, the project not only gives detainees a voice but also reduces pressure on correctional facilities struggling with limited resources.
Legal experts say the initiative highlights broader systemic challenges, including weak enforcement of judicial deadlines and insufficient oversight of pretrial detention practices. These shortcomings have contributed to widespread distrust in the justice system and perpetuated a cycle of human rights violations.
Observers note that the program is also part of a wider UN-backed push to reform judicial processes and encourage accountability among justice sector actors. By ensuring that detainees are not held indefinitely without trial, the initiative seeks to reinforce the rule of law, build public confidence in the judiciary, and align the Central African Republic with international human rights standards.
For many of the detainees—most of whom come from impoverished backgrounds and lack the resources to hire legal counsel—the project offers a rare chance at justice. If expanded and sustained, advocates believe the initiative could serve as a model for addressing prolonged detention across other conflict-affected states in the region.
