Burkina Faso junta reinstates death penalty

Burkina Faso's ruling military junta has reintroduced the death penalty, according to the justice ministry. The decision followed a unanimous vote by the country's unelected legislature. The new penal code aims to strengthen public order, uphold fundamental values, and ensure security for people and property. The junta, which has governed Burkina Faso since a 2022 coup, announced plans last year to reinstate capital punishment.

Crimes punishable by death under the new law include terrorism, espionage, treason, patricide, and the importation of expired or banned products that cause death. The last known execution in Burkina Faso occurred in 1988, and Amnesty International had previously called on the country to refrain from bringing back the death penalty.