The Brazzaville Bar Association and the National Bar Association of the Republic of Congo have informed Avocats sans Frontières France of the arrest of Mr Kaben Massouka on 9 July 2025.

Lawyers Without Borders France joins the protests of the Congolese Bar Association, with which it maintains close relations through the involvement of several of its members in the Lawyers Without Borders Movement.

Our Association, which develops projects in Africa, America, Asia and Europe, bears witness to the essential role of lawyers in protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens; arresting a lawyer without any legal procedure is a serious violation of the rule of law and democracy.

In the eyes of its fellow citizens and the international community, particularly civil society, the Congolese Bar Association is one of the pillars of democracy and a guarantor of the independence of its members.

Its voice must be respected and heard, and Mr Kaben Massaka must be released.

Francois Cantier, Lawyer, Founding President of Lawyers Without Borders France.