Ibrahim Traore junta govment bring back death penalty for high crimes in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso don bring back death penalty for offences like high treason, terrorism and espionage, for one move wey don raise fear say di kontri military govment fit crack down on critics.

Di kontri unelected legislature unanimously approve one new penal code dis week, bringing back death sentences for offences including killing of parents and importing expired or prohibited products.

Di decision come as di military govment wey Captain Ibrahim Traoré lead dey face criticism ova restrictions on civil liberties and how e dey handle long-running insurgency.

Why Burkina Faso bring back death penalty

Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala don argue say di measure dey necessary to fight terrorism.

E say terrorists dey take advantage of di leniency of di previous law to recruit fighters by offering dem life imprisonment instead of death penalty if dem get convicted.

But Human Rights Watch (HRW) don warn say di decision fit turn death penalty into one tool to silence critics of di govment, as part of one wave of repression against pipo wey dey express opposing views.

"Di return of death penalty dey send one chilling message to critics of di military junta and e fit become anoda tool to suppress dissent," HRW tok for one statement.

According to HRW, since di junta seize power through one coup for September 2022, e don ban media organisations, suspend trade unions and civil society organisations, and abolish multiparty politics. Di organisation tok say critics don also face arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, forced conscription and torture.

Di rights group warn say death penalty fit get particularly serious consequences for one justice system wey dey suffer from serious procedural failures. E point to slow investigations into terrorism-related cases wey fail to protect di rights of accused pipo.

One former judge wey work for di kontri terrorism court previously tell di rights organisation say judges sometimes keep suspects for detention even when evidence no dey enough, bicos dem fear say military fit summarily execute dem if dem release dem.