Burkina Faso’s military junta has released three journalists who were arrested earlier this week, although two others remain in custody, their media outlets reported to AFP.
The freed journalists include Ousseni Ilboudo, editorial director of L’Observateur Paalga, and Michel Nana. Their detentions had sparked concern among press freedom advocates, highlighting the junta’s ongoing tense relationship with the media.
Two other journalists, Lamine Traore, founder of online media Burkina Yawana, and Jean-Marie Toe, editor-in-chief of state daily Sidwaya, were reportedly “questioned” by agents from the National Intelligence Agency (ANR) late Tuesday. Toe and another journalist, Zoungrana, had participated in an interview with Captain Ibrahim Traore last month marking three years since the September 2022 coup.
There has been no official government statement regarding the arrests. However, sources close to the junta suggest the detentions relate to a leaked version of the interview being shared with a media outlet critical of the military before its broadcast on national television on September 28.
Burkina Faso’s junta has faced repeated accusations of repressive measures, including forcibly mobilizing citizens to fight jihadist groups. Recent months saw the release of a dozen people, including journalists, civil society leaders, and relatives of politicians, who were previously abducted and conscripted.
Meanwhile, three appeals court magistrates remain missing since Friday, believed abducted, underscoring the growing concern over human rights and the rule of law under the military-led government.
