World · 2026-10-16 · Morning briefing
Senegal: LGBTQ+ people go into hiding after 320 arrests
An escalating crackdown in Senegal has led to the arrest of at least 320 people on allegations of “acts against nature” since February, according to a new Human Rights Watch report. The wave of detentions follows a March 11th amendment to the penal code, which doubled the maximum prison term for consensual same-sex relations to 10 years.
The report details arrests based on phone data, third-party allegations, and raids on private premises. Of those detained, at least 84 were charged with “voluntary HIV transmission” based only on their HIV status. The new legislation also introduced penalties of up to seven years in prison and fines up to 5 million CFA francs (£6,500) for promoting homosexuality, leading many LGBTQ+ individuals to go into hiding as lawyers fear representing those detained.
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- LGBTQ+ people go into hiding in Senegal as hundreds are arrested
- Hundreds Arrested in Senegal’s Anti-Gay Crackdown
- Senegal's crackdown on LGBTQ+ people forces them to go into hiding, rights watchdog says
- Senegal’s LGBTQIA+ crackdown raises questions ahead of youth Olympics
- 71 men arrested in Senegal for “unnatural acts” as crackdown on homosexuality continues
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