Author: Aamnah Fatima Khan
March 25, 2025
HRRC strongly condemns the enforced disappearance of activist and journalist Idrissa Barry. The military junta in Burkina Faso must immediately disclose his whereabouts and ensure his safety. The international community must take urgent action to hold the Burkinabé authorities accountable for their escalating repression of opposition figures and civil society.
![Burkina Faso's military rulers deny involvement in reported massacres [Image credit: Issouf Sanogo]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e28a6b_464764d086eb4726ac6682678c34e29c~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_768,h_511,al_c,q_90,enc_avif,quality_auto/e28a6b_464764d086eb4726ac6682678c34e29c~mv2.png)
Since the military junta assumed power in Burkina Faso following the October 2022 coup, emergency laws have been increasingly employed to suppress dissent, including restrictions on journalists, civil society activists, and opposition figures. Political opponents, journalists, and members of the justice system have all suffered coercion, with reports indicating that some have been forced to join the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP) militias as part of counterinsurgency operations. These trends raise concerns about the country's long-term repercussions for political freedom and human rights.
Amid this repressive climate, the arrest of prominent political activist and journalist Idrissa Barry has raised alarm among human rights organizations and opposition groups. Barry, the national secretary of the opposition party Servir et Non se Servir (SENS), was apprehended on March 19, 2025, by individuals claiming to be gendarmes in Ouagadougou. His detention took place in Saaba, where he was holding a meeting with authorities before being driven away in a vehicle with no registration. Following his abduction, SENS published a statement criticizing his detention and requesting his immediate release, while Barry's colleagues undertook extensive searches of police and gendarmerie stations with no outcome. Notably, legal officials in the capital have rejected issuing an arrest order for him.
The circumstances surrounding Barry's arrest point to suspected political intentions. SENS had openly criticized state soldiers and VDP militants' deadly attacks on people in Solenzo on March 10 and 11 just four days before his arrest. The VDP members have been found engaging in the extrajudicial killing of dozens of civilians, including children. These attacks were allegedly carried out in retaliation against local communities accused by the government of supporting Islamist armed groups.
Barry’s continued detention without official acknowledgment constitutes an enforced disappearance, a severe violation of international human rights law. This act contravenes legal prohibitions against arbitrary detention, torture, and extrajudicial execution. Given the government’s recent history of forced enlistment of opposition figures into militia service, there are well-founded concerns that Barry may be subjected to similar coercion.
HRRC urges human rights organizations and political groups to compel the Burkinabé authorities to disclose Barry’s whereabouts and ensure his immediate and unconditional release.
Glossary
Abduction – Taking someone away by force.
Accused – Said to have done something wrong.
Acknowledgment – Admitting or recognizing something.
Allegedly – Something is claimed to be true but not proven.
Apprehended – Caught or arrested by authorities.
Arbitrary – Done without reason or fairness.
Coercion – Forcing someone to do something against their will.
Constitute – To be or make up something.
Contravenes – Goes against a rule or law.
Counterinsurgency operations – Military actions to stop rebels, terrorists, or fighters.
Detention – Being held or kept in custody.
Disclose – To reveal or share information.
Dissent – Disagreeing with the government or authority.
Enlistment – Signing up for military or organized service.
Extrajudicial Killings – Killing someone without a legal trial.
Gendarmes – Military police or armed law officers.
Militia – A group of fighters that are not part of the regular army.
Military Junta – A government run by the military.
Prohibitions – Rules that forbid something.
Repercussions – Bad results or consequences of an action.
Repressive – Controlling people harshly or unfairly.
Retaliation – Taking revenge or responding to an attack.
Suppress – To stop or prevent something, especially ideas or protests.
Suspected – Thought to have done something but not proven.
Sources