Burkina Faso restores death penalty for terrorism and treason in unanimous vote
All 71 members of the military-appointed parliament backed a new penal code that brings back capital punishment, abolished in 2018. Rights groups warn it could be used against critics.
At a glance
- Burkina Faso's transitional parliament voted 71-0 on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, for a new penal code that reinstates the death penalty.
- Capital punishment returns for terrorism, espionage, treason and importing expired or banned goods that cause deaths, according to state media.
- The country abolished the death penalty in 2018; its last known execution was in 1988.
- Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch say the law could be used to silence critics of the military government.
Burkina Faso has brought back the death penalty. The West African country's transitional parliament voted unanimously on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, to adopt a new penal code that makes terrorism, espionage and treason punishable by death, reversing the abolition of capital punishment in 2018. The military-led government says the change is part of its fight against armed groups; human rights organisations say it could be turned against its critics.
What was decided
Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala, who presented the bill, said all 71 members of the Transitional Legislative Assembly voted in favour.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Vote | 71 for, 0 against |
| Date | Tuesday, 20 October 2026 |
| Crimes punishable by death | Terrorism, espionage, treason, importing expired or banned goods that cause deaths |
| Previous law | Death penalty abolished in 2018 |
| Last known execution | 1988 |
| Bill first approved by cabinet | December 2025 |
The provision on deadly imports of expired or banned products is unusual. Officials have presented it as a way to protect consumers from fake and dangerous goods, including medicines and food.
Background
Burkina Faso, a landlocked country of about 23 million people, has been ruled by the military since two coups in 2022. Capt. Ibrahim Traoré has led the junta since September 2022. The government is fighting armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, chiefly Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which control or contest large parts of the countryside. Millions of people have been forced from their homes.
The abolition in 2018 came under the democratically elected president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, who was overthrown in January 2022. As far back as 2024, Bayala said the return of the death penalty was being discussed and "will be implemented".
The junta has tightened its grip in other ways too. Earlier this year it dissolved all political parties and scrapped the laws governing them. Journalists and human rights defenders have been detained or forcibly conscripted.
Reactions
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch criticised the vote, warning that the death penalty could become a tool to suppress dissent in a country where the line between "terrorism" or "treason" and peaceful criticism is often drawn by the authorities. Human Rights Watch has said in a report this year that government forces killed more than twice as many civilians as jihadist groups between 2023 and 2025, and both the army and JNIM have been accused of war crimes.
Supporters of the government argue that tougher penalties are needed to deter militants and anyone who helps them.
Why it matters
Burkina Faso goes against a long trend in Africa, where roughly half of countries have abolished the death penalty in law. The move also deepens the gap between the Sahel's military governments — Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which have left the West African bloc ECOWAS and formed their own Alliance of Sahel States — and Western partners and rights bodies.
What happens next
The new penal code must be promulgated by the head of state before it takes effect. Rights groups will watch closely for the first death sentences under the law, and whether the authorities resume executions after almost four decades.
Questions people are asking
Has Burkina Faso brought back the death penalty?
Yes. On 20 October 2026 the transitional parliament unanimously adopted a new penal code that reinstates the death penalty, reversing the 2018 abolition.
Which crimes carry the death penalty in Burkina Faso now?
According to state media, the new penal code allows the death penalty for terrorism, espionage, treason, and importing expired or banned products that cause deaths.
When was the last execution in Burkina Faso?
The last known judicial execution in Burkina Faso took place in 1988, according to human rights groups.
