United States Department of State

Burkina Faso United States Department of State

The most significant human rights problems included security force killings and use of excessive force, including torture, against civilians and detainees; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; and violence and discrimination against women and children, including female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Other human rights problems included arbitrary arrest and detention; judicial inefficiency and lack of independence; violence against journalists; restrictions on freedoms of speech, expression, and assembly; official corruption; trafficking in persons; discrimination against persons with disabilities; societal violence; discrimination against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) community; discrimination against persons with HIV/AIDS; and forced labor, including by children. The transitional government took steps to investigate and prosecute officials who committed violations, whether in the security forces or elsewhere in government, but impunity remained a problem.