Senegal’s official journal published a law this week showing President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has signed new legislation that doubles jail terms for same-sex relations, a move that passed with broad parliamentary support but has drawn alarm from rights groups and international agencies.
The package increases penalties for “acts against nature,” a phrase used in the law to describe same-sex relations, raising prison terms from the current 1–5 years to 5–10 years. Fines are also greatly increased to 2–10 million CFA francs (about $3,500–$17,600) from the previous 100,000–1.5 million range. Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said the maximum penalties would apply if the sexual activity involved a minor.
The law defines “acts against nature” to encompass homosexuality, bisexuality, “transsexuality,” zoophilia and necrophilia. Despite tougher sentences, the offenses remain classified as misdemeanors rather than crimes. The bill also creates penalties of 3–7 years in jail for those found to be promoting or funding same-sex relationships, and for people accused of levelling baseless allegations of same-sex conduct. Separate provisions allow up to 10 years in prison for “voluntary transmission of HIV.”
The legislation sailed through parliament in a recent reading with no votes against and three abstentions. Sonko’s left‑wing populist PATSEF party dominates the Assembly under the country’s first‑past‑the‑post system, holding 130 of 165 seats.
Human rights organizations warned the bill would deter people at risk, including those needing HIV services, from seeking help. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk described the law as “deeply worrying” and said it “flies in the face of the sacrosanct human rights.” UNAIDS said it was “deeply concerned,” arguing criminalization drives people away from health services.
LGBTQ rights group ILGA World appealed to President Diomaye Faye not to sign the law, urging respect for individual liberty and human dignity.
Public attention to the issue rose in February after a string of arrests under existing provisions, including two local celebrities, spurring intense and often salacious domestic reporting. Dozens of African countries retain laws criminalizing same‑sex relations; in some, such as Uganda, Mauritania and Somalia, penalties can include the death sentence.
Edited by: Alex Berry