The junta of Burkina Faso reinstates the death penalty

Burkina Faso has reinstated the death penalty in a new penal code following a unanimous vote by the non-elected members of the People's Legislative Assembly. This decision, led by military ruler Captain Ibrahim Traoré, aims to strengthen public order and security amid ongoing jihadist violence. The death penalty, abolished in 2018, will now apply to terrorism, espionage, treason, and other serious crimes. The government argues that previous leniency contributed to recruitment by terrorist groups. The last execution in Burkina Faso occurred in 1988, and the country has shifted towards a sovereignist policy, distancing itself from Western values while seeking ties with nations like Russia and Iran.