Burkina Faso: condemnation and continued arbitrary detention of human rights lawyer Ini Benjamine Esther Doli

On 2 December 2025, 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)) received updated information regarding the situation of human rights lawyer Ini Benjamine Esther Doli in Burkina Faso. Her case raises serious concerns about arbitrary detention and restrictions on freedom of expression.

Who is Ini Benjamine Esther Doli?

Me Ini Benjamine Esther Doli is a prominent lawyer and human rights defender based in Burkina Faso. She previously served as a substitute prosecutor at the Bobo-Dioulasso Court of First Instance and as a government commissioner at the Ouagadougou Administrative Court, appointed in May 2019. Since July 2024, she has been a registered member of the Burkina Faso Bar Association.

Me Doli is known for her vocal advocacy on social media, where she regularly exposed human rights violations, including intimidation, abductions, and attacks against journalists and activists. She also criticised the judicial system, highlighting issues such as corruption, lack of independence, and undue interference by authorities.

Forced disappearance and subsequent detention

On 31 August 2025, around 1:30 AM, armed individuals claiming to be from the national gendarmerie forcefully abducted Me Doli from her home in Ouagadougou. This occurred shortly after her return from abroad, following a post on her Facebook account in which she compared the current situation in Burkina Faso to the revolutionary era under Thomas Sankara, criticising the misuse of power and violence against citizens.

Following her abduction, Me Doli was held incommunicado until her forced appearance before the Ouagadougou Court of First Instance on 10 November 2025. During a closed-door hearing, she was convicted of:

• “Contempt of the Head of State” (Article 352-2 of the Penal Code);
• “Undermining the morale of the armed forces” (Article 312-11 of the Penal Code).

She was sentenced to one year in prison and a fine of 1,000,000 F.CFA (approximately €1,525). Me Doli has appealed the verdict, but as of the publication of this urgent appeal, she remains detained in the women’s section of Ouagadougou Civil Prison. She has access to her lawyers, family, and medical care.

Context: escalating repression against human rights defenders

The Observatory notes that Me Doli’s case is part of a broader pattern of repression targeting human rights defenders, journalists, and civil society in Burkina Faso. Several other defenders have faced similar abuses:

• Amadou Sawadogo (Balai Citoyen), abducted on 21 March 2025 and released on 26 May 2025;
• Miphal Ousmane Lankoandé (Balai Citoyen), abducted on 30 March 2025 and still missing;
• Atiana Serge Oulon, investigative journalist and director of L’Événement, abducted on 24 June 2024 and still missing;
• Three journalists (Boukary Ouoba, Luc Pagbeguem, and Guezouma Sanogo) abducted on 24 March 2025, later released in July 2025.

Similarly, Guy Hervé Kam, a human rights lawyer and co-founder of Balai Citoyen, has been arbitrarily detained since January 2024 on charges of “conspiracy and criminal association”.

International standards violated

The Observatory emphasises that Me Doli’s detention violates several international human rights instruments to which Burkina Faso is a party, including:

• Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) (freedom of expression);
• Article 22 of the ICCPR (freedom of association);
• Articles 9 and 10 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

The Burkina Faso Constitution and the Charter of the Transition also guarantee these rights, yet they are being systematically flouted.

Urgent call for action

The Observatory calls on the international community to take immediate action to:

• Ensure the physical and psychological safety of Me Ini Benjamine Esther Doli and all human rights defenders in Burkina Faso;
• Secure her immediate and unconditional release;
• Launch an independent investigation into her abduction and the disappearances of other defenders;
• Uphold freedom of expression and association, in line with Burkina Faso’s international obligations.

Contact authorities in Burkina Faso:

• Captain Ibrahim Traore, President of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (MPSR II) – X: @CapitaineIb22
• Jean-Emmanuel Ouédraogo, Prime Minister of Burkina Faso – X: @J_E_Ouedraogo
• Edasso Rodrigue Bayala, Minister of Justice, Human Rights, and Institutional Relations – Email: [email protected]
• Jean Marie Karamoko Traore, Minister of Foreign Affairs – Email: [email protected]; X: @JeanMarieTraore
• Burkina Faso National Human Rights Commission – Email: [email protected]; X: @BurkinaCndhX
• Permanent Mission of Burkina Faso to the UN in Geneva – Email: [email protected]
• Oumarou Ganou, Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso to the UN in New York – Email: [email protected]
• Permanent Mission of Burkina Faso to the African Union – Email: [email protected]

Individuals are also encouraged to contact Burkina Faso’s diplomatic missions in their respective countries.

Observatory contact:

• Email: [email protected]
• FIDH Emergency Line: +33 1 43 55 25 18
• OMCT Emergency Line: +41 22 809 49 39

The Observatory urges swift international intervention to address this grave violation of human rights and restore justice for Ini Benjamine Esther Doli and all defenders targeted in Burkina Faso.