Burkina Faso - October 2025

On 7 October, Burkina Faso’s Security Minister confirmed the arrest of eight employees of the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO) on charges of espionage and treason. INSO, which provides security analysis for humanitarian groups, had been suspended in July, but details of the case were made public only in October. The government alleges the staff collected sensitive military and administrative data; INSO categorically rejects the accusations, stating its work is transparent, non-confidential and vital for aid worker safety. The arrests mark an escalation in government pressure on civil society, with legal experts noting this is the first such case to advance toward prosecution. Around the same time, five journalists were briefly detained and at least six magistrates and one lawyer forcibly disappeared—part of what rights groups describe as a growing pattern of repression under the junta.

Sources: Le Faso, International Crisis Group, Human Rights Watch, The Africa Report, Jeune Afrique (1), Jeune Afrique(2)