The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a collaborative effort between the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), has received updated reports concerning the legal situation of Ini Benjamine Esther Doli in Burkina Faso.
Current status of the case
On November 10, 2025, a court in Ouagadougou delivered a verdict against Ini Benjamine Esther Doli, a human rights defender and lawyer. She was previously a prosecutor’s substitute in Bobo-Dioulasso and a government commissioner at the Ouagadougou Administrative Court before joining the Burkina Faso Bar Association in 2024.
During a closed-door trial, the court found her guilty of “insulting the head of state” and “attempting to demoralize the armed forces” based on statements shared on her Facebook profile. Consequently, she was sentenced to one year of imprisonment and a fine of 1,000,000 F.CFA. While she was cleared of “treason” charges, she remains incarcerated in the women’s wing of the Ouagadougou civil prison. An appeal has been filed against this conviction.
Details of the abduction and social media activity
The lawyer’s ordeal began on the night of August 31, 2025, when armed individuals claiming to be part of the national gendarmerie abducted her from her Ouagadougou residence. This occurred shortly after she returned from an international trip and posted a message on Facebook comparing the current political climate unfavorably to the era of Thomas Sankara, specifically criticizing the bypass of the formal justice system.
Prior to her arrest, Ini Benjamine Esther Doli frequently used social platforms to highlight human rights violations in Burkina Faso. She spoke out against the intimidation and kidnapping of citizens, the lack of judicial independence, and the systemic delays within the legal framework. One of her notable posts condemned the use of state-funded weaponry to silence the population and obstruct the work of the courts.
A pattern of repression in Burkina Faso
This case is not an isolated incident. Other defenders, such as Guy Hervé Kam, have faced similar arbitrary detentions. Kam, a prominent lawyer and co-founder of Le Balai Citoyen, was arrested at the Ouagadougou international airport in early 2024 and remains in custody on charges of conspiracy.
The broader context in Burkina Faso reveals an increasing crackdown on civil society and the press. Several figures have gone missing or been kidnapped, including Miphal Ousmane Lankoandé and investigative journalist Atiana Serge Oulon, both of whom are still missing. While some, like Amadou Sawadogo and journalists Boukary Ouoba and Luc Pagbeguem, have been released, the environment for free expression remains perilous.
Call for international action
The Observatory strongly denounces the sentencing of Ini Benjamine Esther Doli, viewing it as a direct punishment for her advocacy and exercise of free speech. The military authorities in Burkina Faso are urged to:
- Ensure the physical and mental safety of Ini Benjamine Esther Doli and all human rights activists.
- Provide for her immediate and unconditional release.
- Conduct a transparent investigation into the circumstances of her initial abduction.
- Uphold international standards for freedom of expression and association as defined by the United Nations and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Advocates are encouraged to contact the military leadership, including Captain Ibrahim Traore and Prime Minister Jean-Emmanuel Ouédraogo, to demand justice and the protection of fundamental liberties in Burkina Faso.
