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Burkina Faso’s transitional legislature has unanimously approved a new Penal Code restoring the death penalty eight years after capital punishment was removed for ordinary crimes.
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Terrorism, treason and espionage are among offences punishable by death, alongside parricide and the importation of expired or prohibited products resulting in death.
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The government says the new Penal Code is aimed at strengthening public order, protecting people and property, and responding to the country’s security challenges.
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The restoration follows plans approved by the military-led government in 2025 and comes 38 years after Burkina Faso’s last known execution in 1988.
October 20, (THEWILL) – Burkina Faso has restored the death penalty eight years after abolishing capital punishment for ordinary crimes, following the unanimous adoption of a new Penal Code by the country’s transitional legislature.
The Assemblée législative du peuple (ALP), which exercises legislative powers under the military-led government of Captain Ibrahim Traoré, approved the revised Penal Code on Tuesday.
All 71 members present voted in favour of the legislation, clearing the way for the death penalty to be imposed for terrorism, treason, espionage and other specified offences.
The legislation was presented by the Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Edasso Rodrigue Bayala.
According to the Justice Ministry, the revised Penal Code is intended to strengthen public order, consolidate the country’s fundamental values and guarantee the security of people and property.
Under the new provisions, acts of terrorism, espionage and treason are punishable by death.
Capital punishment also applies to parricide and the importation of expired or prohibited products where the offence results in death.
The legislation reverses a major criminal justice reform introduced in 2018, when Burkina Faso removed the death penalty from its Penal Code for ordinary crimes.
The abolition, however, did not cover all offences. Capital punishment remained available under the country’s military justice system for certain crimes, meaning Burkina Faso was regarded as abolitionist for ordinary crimes rather than for all offences.
The country has not carried out a known execution since 1988, according to Amnesty International.
Plans to restore capital punishment had been under consideration for more than a year.
In November 2024, Bayala disclosed that the government was considering bringing back the death penalty as part of planned reforms to the country’s criminal laws.
The proposal was formally approved by the Council of Ministers in December 2025, when the government adopted a draft Penal Code providing for capital punishment for offences including high treason, terrorism and espionage.
The draft was subsequently forwarded to the transitional legislature for consideration.
The restoration comes amid Burkina Faso’s continuing battle against armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State across parts of the country.
Burkina Faso has experienced two military coups since 2022. Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba overthrew President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré in January 2022 amid growing public anger over the government’s handling of the insurgency.
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Eight months later, Traoré led another coup that removed Damiba from power.
Traoré’s administration has since made the fight against armed groups a central priority of the military-led transition.
Human rights organisations had opposed the planned return of capital punishment.
Following the government’s approval of the proposal in December 2025, Amnesty International called on the authorities to abandon the measure, saying reinstating the death penalty would reverse progress made with the 2018 abolition.
Despite the objections, the transitional legislature has now approved the revised Penal Code, restoring capital punishment to Burkina Faso’s civilian criminal law eight years after its removal.:
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