Human Rights Watch warns of LGBTQ+ crackdown in Senegal as arrests rise

In a report released Monday, Human Rights Watch warned that the government’s crackdown is fueling stigma, driving people into hiding, and discouraging access to HIV testing and treatment.

Rights groups estimate that at least 212 people were arrested between February and July, while another organization puts the figure above 300. These numbers have not been officially confirmed.

The new law, passed by parliament earlier this year, doubles prison sentences for homosexuality to between five and ten years. It also criminalizes the promotion or financing of homosexuality.

Human Rights Watch says the measures are threatening fundamental rights and putting public health at risk.

Homosexuality has been criminalized in Senegal since 1965, but rights groups say hostility toward LGBTQ+ people has intensified in recent years.

Senegal is among more than 30 African countries that criminalize same-sex sexual activity.