The Digester

Senegal parliament approves law doubling prison term for same-sex relations to 10 years

Mar 11th 2026

Senegal's parliament approved a government-backed bill that increases penalties for same-sex relations and related offences, including higher fines and a ban on suspended sentences, and now awaits the president's signature.

  • Parliament passed the government-backed bill by 135 votes to none with three abstentions.
  • The law doubles the maximum prison sentence for same-sex relations from five to ten years.
  • Fines for related offenses rise to as much as 10 million CFA francs from 1.5 million CFA francs.
  • Judges are barred from granting suspended sentences or reducing a prison term below the minimum.
  • The bill also criminalizes promotion of homosexuality and now awaits the president's signature to take effect.
  • Rights groups say about 27 men were arrested in February on suspicion of same-sex acts and sometimes alleged HIV transmission, and they view the law as part of a regional trend of stricter anti-LGBTQ+ measures.

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