SENEGAL DOUBLES MAXIMUM PRISON TERM FOR SAME-SEX RELATIONS 

Senegal’s president has approved new legislation that raises the maximum prison sentence for same-sex relations from five to ten years. 

The law, signed on Monday and published in the official government journal on Tuesday, also introduces penalties for individuals found to have promoted or financed homosexual relationships.

The legislation was passed overwhelmingly by the National Assembly earlier this month, with 135 votes in favour, three abstentions, and none against. United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk described the move as “deeply worrying” following its adoption by parliament, adding that it contradicts fundamental human rights principles.

Under the revised law, “acts against nature” a term used to refer to same-sex relations now carry a prison term of between five and ten years. The previous penalty ranged from one to five years. Individuals convicted of promoting or funding same-sex activities face three to seven years behind bars.

Fines have also been significantly increased, now ranging from two million to ten million CFA francs (approximately $3,500 to $17,600), compared to the previous maximum of 1.5 million CFA francs. The heaviest sentences apply when the offence involves a minor. Additionally, the law penalises individuals who accuse others of same-sex offenses without providing evidence.

Reports indicate that dozens of men have been detained under existing anti-LGBTQ legislation since February, following the arrest of 12 men, including two well-known local figures. Arrests have frequently relied on accusations and mobile phone searches, with the identities of those detained made public.

LGBTQ rights organisation ILGA World had urged President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to reject the bill, calling on him to uphold individual liberty and human dignity. In recent years, LGBTQ issues have sparked heated debate in Senegal, where advocacy for gay rights is often portrayed as an imposition of Western values.

Religious groups in the predominantly Muslim West African nation have held demonstrations calling for harsher punishments. Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, who took office in 2024, had previously vowed to reclassify same-sex relations as a crime. However, the new law retains the offence as a misdemeanour rather than elevating it to a felony.