Senegal’s parliament has unanimously approved a bill that doubles the maximum prison sentence for same-sex relations to 10 years, fulfilling a major 2024 campaign promise by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. The new legislation also significantly increases fines to roughly $17,700 and strictly prohibits judges from issuing suspended sentences or reduced terms for what the penal code defines as “acts against nature.” Human rights organizations report that nearly 30 men were arrested in the weeks leading up to the vote, with some also facing charges related to the “voluntary transmission” of HIV. This move reflects a growing regional trend of tightening anti-LGBTQ+ laws across Africa, where more than half of the world’s countries that criminalize same-sex relations are located.
Date: March 12, 2026. Source: dw.com