A court in Senegal has handed down the first conviction after the country’s newly toughened anti-LGBTQ+ law criminalising same-sex acts, sentencing a 24-year-old man to six years in prison and a $3,300 fine. The case is 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. He was arrested earlier this month.

Human Rights Watch researcher Larissa Kojoué said the law has created a climate of “constant fear” for LGBTQ+ people in Senegal.

Speaking to the Associated Press, 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.”

What changed in Senegal’s law

The new legislation was passed last month 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.

Rapid enforcement

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.