Senegal signs law increasing penalty for same-sex relations

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has signed into law a bill doubling the maximum prison term for same-sex relations, amid a widening crackdown on the country’s LGBTQ community.

The legislation, published in the official journal on Tuesday after being signed on Monday, increases penalties for “acts against nature, a term used to describe same-sex relations from one to five years, to five to 10 years’ imprisonment.

It also imposes three to seven years in prison on anyone found promoting or financing such relationships.

The law additionally criminalises false accusations of same-sex offences and stipulates heavier fines, ranging from two million to 10 million CFA francs ($3,500–$17,600), compared with previous penalties of 100,000 to 1.5 million CFA francs. Maximum sentences apply if the offence involves a minor.

According to media reports, arrests under Senegal’s anti-LGBTQ laws have surged since February, often following phone searches, with names of those detained publicly disclosed.

The bill was passed by a large majority in the National Assembly, with 135 lawmakers voting in favour, three abstaining, and none opposing, after several hours of debate on March 11.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk described the legislation as “deeply worrying,” warning that it “flies in the face of sacrosanct human rights.”

LGBTQ advocacy group ILGA World had called on President Faye not to sign the law, urging respect for individual liberties.

The issue has long divided Senegalese society. Religious groups have staged protests calling for stricter penalties, while same-sex rights advocacy is often criticised as foreign influence.

The bill was presented to parliament by former prime minister Ousmane Sonko, who had pledged to criminalise same-sex relations before taking office in 2024.

AFP