Unjust conviction and continued detention of a prominent human rights advocate in Burkina Faso
In a deeply troubling development, human rights lawyer Ini Benjamine Esther Doli has been convicted and remains arbitrarily detained in Burkina Faso. Her case highlights ongoing concerns about the suppression of free expression and the targeting of those who defend fundamental rights in the country.
Background of the case
Me Ini Benjamine Esther Doli is a respected legal professional who previously served as a substitute prosecutor for the Faso Prosecutor’s Office at the Bobo-Dioulasso High Court and as a government commissioner at the Ouagadougou Administrative Court, a position she held since May 2019. She has been a registered member of the Burkina Faso Bar Association since July 2024.
On November 10, 2025, the Ouagadougou High Court conducted a closed hearing where she was found guilty of two charges related to her Facebook posts: “contempt of the Head of State” (Article 352-2 of the Penal Code) and “attempting to demoralize the armed forces” (Article 312-11 of the Penal Code). She was sentenced to one year in prison and fined 1,000,000 F.CFA (approximately €1,525). While she has appealed the decision, she remains detained at the Ouagadougou civil prison’s women’s quarters, where she has access to legal counsel, family visits, and necessary medical care.
Me Doli was forcibly taken from her home in Ouagadougou between 1:30 AM on August 31 and September 1, 2025. The assailants reportedly identified themselves as gendarmes, shortly after her return from an international trip. Her last Facebook post before the abduction read: “Brussels Airlines has just landed at Ouagadougou Airport […]. Thomas Sankara launched his revolution, but we have seen nothing of what is happening horribly today! At least he created popular tribunals to judge those accused of crimes without substituting justice to do whatever he wanted and brutalize his people.”
Advocacy for justice and human rights
Through her social media platforms, Me Doli consistently highlighted violations of fundamental rights, particularly freedom of expression. She documented cases of intimidation, kidnapping, and enforced disappearances targeting citizens, human rights defenders, and journalists. Her activism also focused on exposing systemic judicial dysfunctions in Burkina Faso, including violations of security rights, personal liberty, and access to justice. She emphasized the judiciary’s chronic delays and political interference, stressing the urgent need for judicial independence and the protection of human rights defenders.
In one of her posts, she wrote: “It is cowardly beyond measure to use taxpayer-funded weapons to intimidate, silence, kidnap, and detain people, and above all, to prevent justice from doing its work freely. What unprecedented terror!”
Escalating repression and pattern of abuse
Following her abduction, the Burkina Faso Bar Association was notified on September 4, 2025, of impending legal proceedings against her. Two days later, the Faso Prosecutor’s Office announced an investigation into her Facebook posts for alleged “treason” (Article 311-2), “contempt of the Head of State,” and “attempting to demoralize the armed forces.”
Her case is not isolated. Human rights lawyer Guy Hervé Kam, co-founder of the Balai Citoyen movement, faced similar treatment. Arrested at Ouagadougou International Airport on January 24, 2024, upon his return from a professional trip, he was released and re-arrested twice. As of this report, he remains arbitrarily detained on charges of “conspiracy and criminal association.”
Wider crackdown on civil society
These incidents are part of a broader pattern of repression against civil society and human rights defenders in Burkina Faso, particularly those criticizing the military-led government. In recent months, several activists and journalists have been abducted or forcibly disappeared:
- Amadou Sawadogo, a Balai Citoyen activist, was reported missing on March 21, 2025, and later released on May 26, 2025.
- Miphal Ousmane Lankoandé, the movement’s executive secretary, was abducted on March 30, 2025, and remains missing.
- Journalists Boukary Ouoba, Luc Pagbeguem, and Guezouma Sanogo were abducted on March 24, 2025; Ouoba and Pagbeguem were released on July 17, 2025, and Sanogo on July 21, 2025.
- Atiana Serge Oulon, an investigative journalist and editor of the newspaper *L’Événement*, was abducted on June 24, 2024, and remains missing.
Call for immediate action
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership between the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), strongly condemns the conviction and arbitrary detention of Me Ini Benjamine Esther Doli. These actions appear to be a direct response to her legitimate exercise of free speech and human rights advocacy.
The Observatory urges Burkina Faso’s military authorities to:
- Immediately and unconditionally release Me Ini Benjamine Esther Doli and all other arbitrarily detained human rights defenders.
- Ensure the physical and psychological safety of all human rights defenders in Burkina Faso.
- Conduct a transparent investigation into the abduction and enforced disappearance of Me Doli and other victims.
- Uphold fundamental freedoms, particularly freedom of expression and association, in line with international human rights standards, including Articles 19 and 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Articles 9 and 10 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
How to take action:
Write to Burkina Faso’s military authorities and diplomatic missions, demanding the immediate release of Me Doli and an end to the harassment of human rights defenders. Below are key contacts:
- Captain Ibrahim Traoré, President of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (MPSR II): @CapitaineIb22
- Jean-Emmanuel Ouédraogo, Prime Minister: @J_E_Ouedraogo
- Me Edasso Rodrigue Bayala, Minister of Justice, Human Rights, and Relations with Institutions: Email [email protected]
- Jean Marie Karamoko Traoré, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation, and Burkinabè Abroad: Email [email protected] or @JeanMarieTraore
- Burkina Faso National Human Rights Commission: Email [email protected] or @BurkinaCndhX
Please also contact Burkina Faso’s diplomatic missions in your respective countries to amplify your appeal.
Standing up for justice
The Observatory remains committed to supporting human rights defenders facing repression. For further information or to report actions taken, please contact the Observatory’s Emergency Line:
- Email: [email protected]
- FIDH: +33 1 43 55 25 18
- OMCT: +41 22 809 49 39
Together, we must ensure the rights and safety of those who courageously defend justice and human dignity in Burkina Faso.
