Senegal has first conviction under law toughening punishment for homosexual acts

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A court in Senegal has issued the first conviction under a new law increasing the punishment for homosexuality.

A court in Dakar suburb Pikine-Guédiawaye sentenced a 24-year-old laborer on Friday to six years in prison and fined him 2 million CFA ($3,300) for “acts against nature and public indecency.” He was arrested earlier this month.

Senegal, a largely Muslim nation, is the latest African country to impose harsher penalties against the LGBTQ+ community. The law increases prison sentences to between five and 10 years.

The law also punishes what it calls the "promotion” or “financing” of homosexuality, seen as an attempt to crack down on groups that support sexual and gender minorities.

Human Rights Watch researcher Larissa Kojoué told The Associated Press on Monday the law has created a climate of “constant fear" and arrests have become more aggressive “because now there is backing from the state apparatus.”

More than 30 of Africa's 54 countries criminalize homosexual acts. In Somalia, Uganda, and Mauritania, the offense can carry the death penalty.