- Senegal President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has signed a law doubling penalties for same-sex relations to up to 10 years imprisonment
- The new legislation introduces 3–7 year jail terms for promoting or financing same-sex relationships
- Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, condemns the law, calling it “deeply worrying” and a violation of human rights
The President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has signed a controversial new law that significantly increases penalties for same-sex relations in Senegal, raising the maximum prison sentence to 10 years as part of a broader crackdown on the LGBTQ community.
The legislation, signed on Monday, March 30, and published in the official journal on Tuesday, March 31, was passed by a wide margin in the National Assembly.
It not only strengthens existing penalties but also introduces new punishments for individuals accused of promoting or financing same-sex relationships.
Reacting to the development, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, described the law as “deeply worrying,” adding that it “flies in the face of the sacrosanct human rights”.
Under the new provisions, so-called “acts against nature”, a term used in Senegalese law to describe same-sex relations, now attract prison sentences ranging from five to 10 years, up from the previous one to five years.
The law also prescribes jail terms of three to seven years for anyone found guilty of promoting or financing same-sex relationships.
Reports indicate that enforcement actions have already intensified.
Since February, dozens of men have reportedly been arrested under existing anti-LGBTQ laws, including 12 individuals, among them two local celebrities, detained in a single operation that marked the beginning of a wave of arrests.
Many of these arrests have allegedly been based on accusations and phone searches, with the identities of detainees frequently made public in the media.
Interestingly, the new legislation also includes a provision penalising false accusations of same-sex offences, stating that anyone who accuses another “without proof” could face legal consequences.
The bill was approved on March 11 after hours of debate, securing 135 votes in favour, none against, and three abstentions.
It further stipulates harsher penalties in cases involving minors, where the maximum sentence will apply.
In addition to prison terms, offenders may now face fines ranging from two million to 10 million CFA francs (approximately $3,500 to $17,600), a sharp increase from the previous 100,000 to 1.5 million CFA francs.
Global advocacy group ILGA World had earlier urged President Faye not to sign the bill, calling on him to uphold “respect for individual liberty and the human person”.
LGBTQ rights remain a deeply contentious issue in Senegal, a Muslim-majority West African nation, where advocacy is often criticised as an attempt by Western countries to impose foreign values.
Religious groups have repeatedly staged protests demanding stricter laws against same-sex relationships.
Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, who presented the bill to parliament, had previously pledged to criminalise same-sex relations more severely. However, despite the harsher penalties, the offence retains its classification as a misdemeanour under Senegalese law.