Human rights advocate Ini Benjamine Esther Doli faces unjust imprisonment in Burkina Faso
In a troubling escalation of judicial persecution, Burkina Faso has convicted and continues to detain lawyer and human rights defender Ini Benjamine Esther Doli under questionable circumstances. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint initiative of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), has documented these serious violations and calls for immediate action.
The legal professional, previously serving as a substitute prosecutor in Bobo-Dioulasso and government commissioner in Ouagadougou, has been sentenced to one year in prison for expressing critical views on social media. The charges of ‘contempt of the Head of State’ and ‘demoralizing the armed forces’ stem from Facebook posts made in late August 2025, shortly after her return from abroad. Despite her ongoing appeal, she remains incarcerated in the women’s section of Ouagadougou’s civil prison.
a pattern of repression against civil society
Me Ini Benjamine Esther Doli’s case exemplifies a broader crackdown on dissent in Burkina Faso. Before her arrest, she actively denounced systemic judicial dysfunctions, rights violations, and state-sponsored intimidation through her social media platform. Her last public statement questioned the legacy of Thomas Sankara while highlighting contemporary judicial abuses, a post that preceded her forcible abduction from her home in the early hours of September 1, 2025.
Tragically, she is not alone in facing persecution. Colleague Guy Hervé Kam, co-founder of the Balai Citoyen movement, has been arbitrarily detained since January 2024 under similar politically motivated charges. The pattern extends to enforced disappearances affecting civil society leaders like Amadou Sawadogo, Miphal Ousmane Lankoandé, and journalists Boukary Ouoba, Luc Pagbeguem, and Guezouma Sanogo, most of whom have since been released after prolonged captivity.
Most alarmingly, investigative journalist Atiana Serge Oulon, editor of the prominent newspaper L’Événement, has been missing since June 2024, with no credible investigation into his fate.
international standards and local obligations
Burkina Faso’s military leadership has systematically violated fundamental freedoms guaranteed under international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The Observatory emphasizes that these actions contravene both international obligations and Burkina Faso’s own constitutional provisions.
urgent international intervention required
The Observatory urges immediate international pressure to:
- Ensure unconditional release of Ini Benjamine Esther Doli and all arbitrarily detained human rights defenders
- Launch independent investigations into enforced disappearances and abductions
- Cease all judicial harassment against civil society actors
- Uphold freedom of expression as enshrined in national and international law
Key contacts for diplomatic intervention include:
- Captain Ibrahim Traore, President of MPSR II: @CapitaineIb22
- Jean-Emmanuel Ouédraogo, Prime Minister: @J_E_Ouedraogo
- Edasso Rodrigue Bayala, Minister of Justice: [email protected]
- Jean Marie Karamoko Traore, Ministry of Foreign Affairs: [email protected] / @JeanMarieTraore
- Burkina Faso Human Rights Commission: [email protected] / @BurkinaCndhX
- Permanent Mission to UN Geneva: [email protected]
- Permanent Mission to UN New York: [email protected]
- Permanent Mission to African Union: [email protected]
All diplomatic representations of Burkina Faso should also be contacted. Please report any actions taken to [email protected].
For media inquiries or further information, contact the Observatory’s emergency line at +33 1 43 55 25 18 (FIDH) or +41 22 809 49 39 (OMCT).