Burkina Faso reinstates death penalty: Justice ministry

Burkina Faso has reinstated the death penalty following a unanimous vote by the country’s unelected legislature, the Justice Ministry announced Tuesday.

The new penal code reverses the abolition of capital punishment in 2018. Authorities say the move aims to strengthen public order, uphold national values and improve security.

The West African nation has been under military rule since a 2022 coup, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who announced plans to restore the death penalty last year.

According to the state news agency, crimes punishable by death will include terrorism, espionage, treason, patricide, and importing expired or banned products that cause death.

However, the decision has drawn concern from human rights advocates. Amnesty International had urged the government not to reinstate capital punishment.

The last recorded execution in Burkina Faso took place in 1988. The decision marks a significant shift in the country’s criminal justice system and raises renewed questions about human rights and the use of capital punishment.