Burkina Faso just brought back the death penalty - The country’s transitional parliament voted unanimously this week to restore capital punishment for terrorism, treason, espionage, and a few other crimes including parricide and importing expired or banned products that k- ll people.
All 71 members of the junta-backed legislature backed the new penal code. Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala said the move is needed because jihadist groups (linked to al-Qaida and Islamic State) have been recruiting fighters by promising them they’d only face life in prison if caught.
Burkina Faso had abolished the death penalty in 2018 under its last elected president. The last known execution was way back in 1988.
Captain Ibrahim Traoré has run the country since the 2022 coup. His government has delayed elections and cracked down on opponents, so human rights groups like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International say this risks becoming another tool to silence critics rather than just fight the insurgency.
The law is now on the books. Whether and how it’s actually used is the next question. #Burkinafaso
