Burkina Faso Restores Death Penalty Under Traoré's Rule

Burkina Faso has reinstated the death penalty after a unanimous vote, reversing the abolition that occurred in 2018. The new penal code is intended to strengthen public order, uphold national values, and improve security.

The country has been under military rule since a coup in 2022 led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who had announced plans to restore capital punishment the previous year. According to the state news agency, crimes that will now be punishable by death include terrorism, espionage, treason, patricide, and the importation of expired or banned products that cause death.

This decision has raised concerns among human rights advocates, with Amnesty International urging the government not to reinstate capital punishment. The last execution recorded in Burkina Faso took place in 1988.

This reversal marks a significant shift in the country’s criminal justice system and has reignited debates surrounding human rights and capital punishment.