Editing Thomas Sankara (section)

===Trial===
In 2017, the Burkina Faso government officially asked the French government to release military documents on the killing of Sankara after his widow accused France of masterminding his assassination.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-37643926|title=Burkina Faso 'wants France to release Sankara archives'|date=13 October 2016|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=25 February 2021}}</ref> The documents were released in 2020 by [[President of France|French president]] [[Emmanuel Macron]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

In April 2021, 34 years after Sankara's assassination, former president Compaoré and 13 others were indicted for complicity in the murder of Sankara as well as other crimes in the coup.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Akinwotu|first1=Emmanuel|title=Burkina Faso ex-president Compaoré to face trial over Thomas Sankara murder|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/13/trial-in-absentia-burkina-faso-ex-president-blaise-compaore|website=The Guardian|date=13 April 2021|access-date=31 May 2021}}</ref> This development came as part of President [[Roch Marc Christian Kaboré]]'s framework of 'national reconciliation'.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Diallo|first1=Aïssatou|title=Can former president Compaoré's trial help to reconcile Burkina Faso?|url=https://www.theafricareport.com/81752/can-former-president-compaores-trial-help-to-reconcile-burkina-faso/|website=Theafricareport|date=22 April 2021|access-date=31 May 2021}}</ref>

In October 2021, the trial against Compaoré and 13 others began in [[Ouagadougou]], with Compaoré being tried ''[[Trial in absentia|in absentia]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Burkina Faso opens trial on 1987 Sankara assassination|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/11/burkina-faso-to-open-trial-on-1987-sankara-assassination|access-date=11 October 2021|agency=[[Al Jazeera Arabic|Al Jazeera]]|date=11 October 2021}}</ref> Ex-presidential security chief Hyacinthe Kafondo, was also tried in absentia.<ref>{{cite news|title=Trial over killing of Burkina Faso's ex-leader Sankara opens|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/trial-over-killing-of-burkina-fasos-ex-leader-sankara-opens/2389235|work=Anadolu Agency|date=11 October 2021}}</ref> A week before the trial, Compaoré's lawyers stated that he wouldn't be attending the trial which they characterized as having defects, and also emphasized his privilege for immunity, being the former head of state.<ref>{{cite news|title=Burkina Faso: Trial to know who killed Thomas Sankara opens|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/after-34-years-sankara-murder-trial-begins-burkina-faso-2021-10-11/|work=Africanews|date=11 October 2021}}</ref> After requests made by the defence attorneys for more time to prepare their defence, the hearing was postponed until 1 March.<ref>{{cite news|title=Burkinabe prosecutors seek 30 years for Compaore in murder trial|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/8/burkina-seeks-30-years-for-compaore-over-sankara-murder#:~:text=Military%20prosecutors%20in%20Burkina%20Faso,%E2%80%9Ccomplicity%20in%20a%20murder%E2%80%9D|work=[[Al Jazeera Arabic|Al Jazeera]]|date=8 February 2022}}</ref>

On 6 April 2022, Compaoré and two others were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison in absentia. Eight others were sentenced to between 3 and 20 years in prison. Three were found innocent.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ndiaga|first=Thiam|date=6 April 2022|title=Burkina Faso's ex-president Compaore handed life sentence in absentia over Sankara murder|language=en|work=[[Reuters]]|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/burkina-fasos-former-president-compaore-sentenced-life-prison-over-sankara-2022-04-06/|access-date=16 April 2022}}</ref>