Burkina Faso just brought back the death penalty after ditching it back in 2018, and the military government claims they need it to deal with jihadist violence and terrorism. Captain Ibrahim Traore's junta pushed through a new penal code that makes capital punishment legal again for stuff like treason and espionage, though parliament still has to approve it before it becomes official.
The justice minister argued that getting rid of executions basically made the country less safe because armed groups could tell recruits they wouldn't face serious consequences if caught. The updated laws also hit harder on corruption cases over 7.6 million euros, with life sentences, and made promoting homosexuality a crime.
Civil liberties keep shrinking as the regime tightens its grip on everything. Eight aid workers got arrested on spying charges before getting released, foreign media outlets faced suspensions over their reporting, and journalists keep getting locked up for doing their jobs.
The justice minister argued that getting rid of executions basically made the country less safe because armed groups could tell recruits they wouldn't face serious consequences if caught. The updated laws also hit harder on corruption cases over 7.6 million euros, with life sentences, and made promoting homosexuality a crime.
Civil liberties keep shrinking as the regime tightens its grip on everything. Eight aid workers got arrested on spying charges before getting released, foreign media outlets faced suspensions over their reporting, and journalists keep getting locked up for doing their jobs.
