Senegal Has First Conviction Under Law Toughening Punishment For Homosexual Acts

DAKAR, Senegal — A tribunal successful Senegal has issued nan first condemnation nether a caller rule expanding nan reward for homosexuality.

A tribunal successful Pikine-Guédiawaye, a suburb of Dakar, sentenced a 24-year-old laborer connected Friday to six years successful situation and fined him $3,300 for “acts against quality and nationalist indecency.” He was arrested this month.

Senegal, a mostly Muslim nation, is nan latest African state to enforce harsher penalties against nan LGBTQ+ community. The rule increases situation sentences to betwixt 5 and 10 years.

The rule besides punishes what it calls nan “promotion” aliases “financing” of homosexuality, seen arsenic an effort to ace down connected groups that support intersexual and gender minorities.

Human Rights Watch interrogator Larissa Kojoué told nan Associated Press connected Monday that nan rule has created a ambiance of “constant fear” and arrests person go much fierce “because now location is backing from nan authorities apparatus.”

More than 30 of Africa’s 54 countries criminalize homosexual acts. In Somalia, Uganda and Mauritania, nan discourtesy tin transportation nan decease penalty.

Dione and Banchereau constitute for nan Associated Press.