Burkina Faso has approved legislation bringing back capital punishment for a range of serious offences, reversing a ban introduced in 2018.
The country’s 71-member legislative assembly voted unanimously for the revised penal code on Tuesday, after Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala presented the measure on behalf of the government.
Under the new provisions, the death penalty can be imposed for crimes including terrorism, espionage and treason, as well as importing expired or prohibited products that cause death, according to state media.
The decision comes as Burkina Faso continues to battle armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State. The insurgency has caused thousands of deaths and forced millions of people from their homes.
The government argues that tougher penalties are necessary to address insecurity. Bayala said the previous legal framework was too lenient and had helped armed groups attract recruits.
The move has drawn criticism from human rights advocates. Human Rights Watch has cautioned that reinstating capital punishment could intensify repression and increase pressure on people critical of the military authorities.
Burkina Faso abolished the death penalty in 2018. Amnesty International identifies 1988 as the year of the country’s last known judicial execution.
