After nearly two years in detention, Rasmané Zinaba and Bassirou Badjo, members of the civic movement Balai Citoyen, were released by the Burkinabe authorities on October 6, 2025. Balai Citoyen is a Burkinabe civic movement known for its grassroots mobilisation and advocacy for democracy, accountability, and social justice. The two activists have since returned to their respective homes in Ouagadougou. At the time of writing, the precise circumstances of their release remain unclear, and no official information has been provided on their physical or psychological condition following their prolonged detention.
Rasmané Zinaba and Bassirou Badjo were conscripted on February 20 and 21, 2024, respectively, in Ouagadougou. Their detention was carried out under Decree No. 2023-0274/PRES-TRANS/PM/MATDS/MDNAC/MJDHRI of April 19, 2023, which establishes general mobilisation and warning measures. The decree authorises the state to requisition persons, property, and services deemed necessary for the war effort in the context of Burkina Faso’s security crisis.
From the outset, Balai Citoyen and several civil society organisations condemned the use of this decree against the two activists, describing it as abusive and punitive. They argued that the requisitioning mechanism was being used not for legitimate national defence purposes, but to silence critical civic voices. The arrests were therefore widely viewed as arbitrary and inconsistent with the principles of the rule of law.
During their detention, courts reportedly issued multiple rulings ordering their release. These decisions were not enforced, raising serious concerns about the independence of the judiciary and respect for judicial authority under the current transitional authorities.
The conscription and prolonged detention of Rasmané Zinaba and Bassirou Badjo contravenes Burkina Faso’s constitutional guarantees and its international human rights obligations. These include the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, both of which protect the rights to liberty, personal security, due process, and freedom of expression. The continued use of conscriptions against civil society actors risks transforming an exceptional security measure into an instrument of political repression.
The Media Foundation for West Africa welcomes the release of Rasmané Zinaba and Bassirou Badjo and expresses its solidarity with them. MFWA calls on the Burkinabe authorities to fully restore respect for court decisions, end the arbitrary use of conscriptions, and guarantee the safety, dignity, and fundamental freedoms of all human rights defenders and civil society actors.
