Senegal LGBTQ+ crackdown sparks human rights concerns, watchdog says

Senegal has launched a harsh crackdown on LGBTQ+ people that includes arrests and rights violations, Human Rights Watch said in a report Monday. The report says the government's actions after a new law increased punishments for homosexuality are forcing people into hiding and causing them to avoid HIV testing and treatment. The crackdown has also led to growing fear and stigma in the gay community, according to the watchdog.

The law, passed by parliament with near-unanimous support earlier this year, doubles prison terms for homosexuality to between five and 10 years. It classifies homosexuality alongside necrophilia and bestiality as offenses described as "acts against nature." The measure also punishes the promotion or financing of homosexuality, in an effort to crack down on organizations that support sexual and gender minorities.

There is no official data on arrests under the new law. The Dakar-based African Forum for the Defense of Human Rights counted at least 212 arrests between February and July. HIV Justice Network said arrests exceeded 300 during the same period and that 82 people were charged with "voluntary HIV transmission," though a court dismissed those charges in August.

Larissa Kojoué, an LGBTQ+ rights researcher at Human Rights Watch, said LGBT people are being forced to limit normal activities and avoid exercising their rights because of fear of arrest and increased stigma. She called on Senegal's government to halt the crackdown, saying it threatens everyone's rights.

Same-sex sexual conduct has been criminalized in Senegal since 1965, but hostility toward LGBTQ+ people has significantly intensified in recent years, the report said. Laws prohibiting homosexuality are common across Africa, with more than 30 of the 54 countries criminalizing same-sex sexual acts. Senegal has joined countries such as Kenya, Sierra Leone and Tanzania, where penalties can include 10 or more years of imprisonment, while Somalia, Uganda and Mauritania can impose the death penalty.