Senegal Introduced Harsh New Anti LGBTI Law Amidst Many Recent Arrests

Melanie Nathan, Feb 26, 2026

The Prime Minister of Senegal Ousmane Sonko has introduced anti-LGBTI legislation that seeks to double the maximum penalty for same-sex relations, making such punishable by ten years in prison. The new legislation also seeks to criminalize anyone who advocates for LGBTI rights - with prison for 7 years and the "loss of civil rights." Recent official data and reporting reflect a marked intensification of state action against LGBT individuals in the country.

Under Article 319 of Senegal’s Penal Code, consensual same-sex sexual conduct is already criminalized as an “act against nature” punishable by imprisonment and fines.

In early 2026, Senegalese authorities have actively enforced these provisions, including the detention of at least 26 men accused of “acts against nature” and related charges, with 19 held at Rebeuss Prison in Dakar and others elsewhere, underscoring the scale of enforcement under existing law. A total of 30 arrests have been made in these past couple of months.

The draft law has been approved by Senegal's Council of Ministers and ratified by its National Assmebly. Now it will be put forward for a vote. Statement by African Human Rights Coalition

African Human Rights Coalition (AHRC) is gravely alarmed by this outcome and unequivocally condemns the newly introduced legislation as persecutory, discriminatory, and a direct assault on the fundamental human rights of LGBTI people in Senegal. This law institutionalizes prejudice and will undoubtedly exacerbate an already dire and dangerous environment for individuals perceived to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex.

The existing legal framework has long served as a catalyst for a spectrum of abuses, including mob and vigilante violence, public beatings, arbitrary arrest, prolonged unlawful detention in deplorable conditions, torture, and killings carried out by both state and non-state actors. Rather than curbing these violations, the new legislation emboldens perpetrators, legitimizes hatred, and signals impunity.

By intensifying criminal enforcement and reinforcing societal stigma, this law further marginalizes Senegal’s LGBTI community, strips individuals of dignity and protection, and heightens the risk of persecution. It entrenches fear as a governing tool and places lives in immediate jeopardy. AHRC calls upon regional and international human rights bodies to urgently denounce this legislation and to hold Senegal accountable for its obligations under international and regional human rights law.

These developments coincide with reports that dozens of arrests of suspected LGBT persons have taken place in recent weeks in Senegal, reflecting a deteriorating climate of legal repression and public hostility. It is not unusual for a government to make arrests when introducing new laws, a common play book, to justify and popularize harsher legislation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AMQGnc0AYY