Senegal’s crackdown on LGBTQ+ people forces them to go into hiding, rights watchdog says

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegal has launched a harsh crackdown on LGBTQ+ people that includes arrests and violations of their rights, and has caused increasing fear and stigma in the gay community, Human Rights Watch said in a report Monday.

The government’s punitive actions following passage of a law increasing punishment for homosexuality are forcing people to go into hiding and avoid HIV testing and treatment, the report said.

There is no official data on the number of arrests under the new law, but according to the African Forum for the Defense of Human Rights, a Dakar-based rights group, at least 212 people were arrested between February and July.

HIV Justice Network said that the number of arrests exceeded 300 during the same period, and 82 people were charged with “voluntary HIV transmission,” although a court dismissed the charges in August.

“LGBT people are being forced to curb their normal activities and to keep from exercising their rights for fear of arrest and increased stigma,” said Larissa Kojoué, an LGBTQ+ rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Senegal’s government should call a halt to this crackdown, which threatens everyone’s rights.”

The new law, passed by parliament with near-unanimous support earlier this year, doubles prison terms of those convicted of homosexuality to between five and 10 years.

The law classifies homosexuality along with necrophilia and bestiality under offenses deemed “acts against nature.” It also punishes what it calls the promotion or financing of homosexuality, an attempt to crack down on organizations that support sexual and gender minorities.

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 proscribing homosexuality are common across Africa: more than 30 of the 54 countries criminalize same-sex sexual acts. Senegal has joined countries like Kenya, Sierra Leone and Tanzania, where penalties can include 10 or more years of imprisonment. In Somalia, Uganda and Mauritania, the offense can carry the death penalty.

Monika Pronczuk, The Associated Press