Alerts | Laws and regulations

New media law grants president greater control over media regulatory body

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On November 21, 2023, the military regime in Burkina Faso adopted a new law (La loi organique n° 041-2023/ALT du 21 novembre 2023) governing the national media regulatory body, le Conseil Supérieur de la Communication (CSC). The new law grants the power to the head of the state to choose who should head the national media regulatory body thereby placing this person under the control of the president. The new legislation also gives power to the CSC authority to seize equipment and close down media houses, to order the suspension of broadcast activities, and to temporarily or permanently withdraw press cards. The government’s move has been widely condemned as a threat to the independence of the media and the safety of journalists in Burkina Faso.

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