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), is raising an urgent alarm regarding the ongoing legal persecution of a prominent Burkinabè lawyer.
Overview of the situation:
New details have emerged concerning the conviction and continued arbitrary imprisonment of Ini Benjamine Esther Doli, a dedicated human rights advocate and legal professional. Before joining the Burkina Faso Bar Association in July 2024, Maître Doli served as a deputy prosecutor in Bobo-Dioulasso and as a government commissioner for the Ouagadougou Administrative Court.
On November 10, 2025, a closed-door session at the Ouagadougou High Court resulted in a guilty verdict for Maître Doli. She was sentenced to one year of firm imprisonment and a fine of 1,000,000 F.CFA (roughly 1,525 Euros) on charges of “insulting the head of state” and “attempting to demoralize the armed forces.” These charges stem from opinions she shared on her personal Facebook account. While she was cleared of “treason” due to insufficient evidence, she remains incarcerated in the women’s wing of the Ouagadougou civil prison. Maître Doli has initiated an appeal against the ruling.
The Observatory highlights that Maître Ini Benjamine Esther Doli was forcibly taken from her Ouagadougou residence during the night of August 31, 2025. Armed individuals claiming to be from the national gendarmerie abducted her shortly after she returned from an international trip. Her final social media post before the kidnapping compared the current political climate unfavorably to the era of Thomas Sankara, criticizing the use of violence against the population and the bypassing of formal justice systems.
Through her digital platforms, Maître Doli was a vocal critic of the erosion of free speech in Burkina Faso. She frequently highlighted the intimidation, illegal detention, and disappearance of activists and citizens who demanded justice. She also pointed out systemic flaws within the Burkinabè judiciary, advocating for the independence of magistrates and the protection of those defending fundamental rights. In one poignant post, she condemned the use of taxpayer-funded weapons to silence and terrorize the public.
Her case is part of a broader, alarming trend. Other human rights defenders, such as Maître Guy Hervé Kam, have faced similar arbitrary arrests and prolonged detentions. The crackdown has also targeted civil society members and journalists, including Amadou Sawadogo, Miphal Ousmane Lankoandé, and investigative reporter Atiana Serge Oulon, many of whom have been subjected to forced disappearances or kidnappings by state-linked actors.
The Observatory strongly denounces the conviction of Maître Ini Benjamine Esther Doli, viewing it as a direct retaliation for her legitimate work in human rights and her exercise of free expression. We call upon the military authorities in Burkina Faso to grant her immediate and unconditional release and to cease all forms of judicial harassment against activists in the country.
Required actions:
We urge the public to contact the Burkinabè military authorities to demand the following:
- Ensure the physical safety and psychological health of Maître Ini Benjamine Esther Doli and all activists in Burkina Faso.
- Immediately release Maître Doli and all other human rights defenders currently held in arbitrary detention.
- Launch a transparent investigation to identify and prosecute those responsible for the abduction and forced disappearance of Maître Doli and other civil society figures.
- Uphold international human rights standards, specifically the right to freedom of speech and association as outlined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Contact Information:
- Captain Ibrahim Traore, President of the MPSR II
- Jean-Emmanuel Ouédraogo, Prime Minister of Burkina Faso
- Maître Edasso Rodrigue Bayala, Minister of Justice and Human Rights
- The National Human Rights Commission of Burkina Faso