Burkina Faso assembly approves return of death penalty

Burkina Faso’s unelected People’s Legislative Assembly voted unanimously on Tuesday, 20 October, to approve a revised penal code reintroducing the death penalty. The justice ministry said all 71 members backed the bill after Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala presented it on behalf of the government. [1] [5]

The cabinet had approved a draft in December 2025. Tuesday’s unanimous vote was by the assembly, not the cabinet. Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s military government has ruled Burkina Faso since a 2022 coup. [6] [3]

AFP, citing Burkina Faso’s state news agency, reported that offences covered by the death penalty include terrorism, espionage, treason, killing a parent and importing expired or prohibited goods that cause death. The justice ministry said the reform was intended to strengthen public order and protect people and property. The precise wording of the adopted provisions and when they will take effect remain unclear. [3] [1]

Amnesty International opposed the proposal while it was still a draft, warning that the death penalty could be used to punish dissent. The organisation dates Burkina Faso’s last recorded execution to 1988. The punishment was removed from the country’s penal code for ordinary crimes in 2018. [7] [5]