71 Senegal men arrested for having gay sex in ‘unnatural acts’ crackdown
The flag of Senegal (Getty Images)
More than 70 men have been arrested in Senegal since the introduction of a new anti-LGBTQ+ law earlier this year.
On 7 August, the public prosecutor’s office confirmed that 71 men had been arrested and charged with “unnatural acts” amid the crackdown on same-sex relations, while 28 more had the charges against them dropped.
According to Africa News, some local celebrities have also been arrested on suspicion of homosexual acts and, in some cases, suspicion of deliberately transmitting HIV. However, the latter charges were dropped.
The new legislation was passed in March and signed into law by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye after being approved by the National Assembly with an overwhelming majority.
It doubled the maximum penalty for same-sex acts from five to 10 years in prison. The law also introduced prison sentences of between three and seven years for the “promotion” or “financing” of homosexuality.
In April, a Senegal court handed down the first conviction under the newly toughened anti-LGBTQ+ law. The court sentenced a 24-year-old man to six years in prison and a $3,300 fine. The case was an early sign of how quickly the harsher penalties are being enforced.
On 10 April, the man was convicted in Pikine-Guédiawaye, a suburb of Dakar, for “acts against nature and public indecency”, and sentenced to six years in prison.
Human Rights Watch researcher Larissa Kojoué said the law has created a climate of “constant fear” for LGBTQ+ people in Senegal.
She said arrests have intensified “because now there is backing from the state apparatus.”
At the time of the arrest, Kojoué also said: “Criminalising same‑sex conduct and arresting people for their sexual orientation or gender expression violates multiple internationally protected rights, including to equality and nondiscrimination.”
Senegal is a majority-Muslim country in West Africa where same-sex sexual activity has long been criminalised under provisions often framed as “acts against nature”. LGBTQ+ people and those perceived to be LGBTQ+ have faced periodic waves of arrests, public outing, and mob harassment, with significant stigma and safety risks.
Human rights organisations have repeatedly criticised Senegal’s criminalisation framework as incompatible with international human rights protections.
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