Sankara trial in Burkina Faso: ex-president Blaise Compaoré sentenced to life imprisonment
Members of the Burkinabè police walk to their positions in the courtroom before the start of the trial of Thomas Sankara in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on February 3, 2022. AFP - GUY PETERSON
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
The former president of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaore, was sentenced Wednesday in absentia to life imprisonment for his participation in the assassination of his predecessor Thomas Sankara.
The commander of his guard Hyacinthe Kafando and General Gilbert Diendéré, one of the leaders of the army during the putsch of 1987, were also sentenced to life imprisonment.
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With our special correspondent in Ouagadougou
,
Gaëlle Laleix
It will have taken
several years of investigation
, the hearing of more than 110 witnesses and 6 months of hearing to reach this day, 34 years after the assassination of Thomas Sankara.
No mitigating circumstances were retained for these three defendants, found guilty of "
undermining state security
" and "
complicity in murder
".
They also lose all their military honors.
The Court therefore went further than what the military prosecutor's office had required, namely
30 years in prison
for Blaise Compaoré and the commander of his guard Hyacinthe Kafando, only 20 years had been required for General Gilbert Diendéré.
Eight other defendants are sentenced to terms ranging from three to twenty years in prison.
Finally, three defendants were acquitted.
This verdict was greeted with great relief by the civil parties and the relatives of the victims.
“
It is a page in the history of Burkina which has just been turned
”, confided a former minister of Thomas Sankara.
Disappointment on the other hand for the supporters of General Diendéré.
“
With the security situation in the country, we need all the forces possible
”, reacted a member of the public before adding: “
We need a general like Diendéré, I would have liked to see him acquitted
.
»
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Burkina Faso
Thomas Sankara
Blaise Compaore
Justice