Overview
- Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko told lawmakers he has formally transmitted the bill, which would increase sentences from the current one to five years, with a vote date not yet set.
- The draft defines homosexuality in the penal code as any sexual act or sexual character between people of the same sex and tightens penalties without reclassifying the offense.
- The text adds a 10-year loss of civil rights for those convicted and introduces prison terms of three to seven years for anyone making the apology or advocacy of homosexuality.
- It would punish denunciations made without proof and require the maximum sentence when an act involves a minor while barring suspended sentences or reductions below the minimum.
- Local media report roughly 30 arrests since February 7, including cases tied to alleged HIV transmission, as Human Rights Watch condemns the crackdown and Senegal’s media regulator urges respect for dignity and privacy.