Senegal Charges 32 Over Homosexuality, HIV Transmission

Thirty-two people in Senegal have been charged with “unnatural acts” and the wilful transmission of HIV and referred to trial.

The suspects are also facing charges of criminal conspiracy, endangering the lives of others, unlawful collection of personal data and sexual harassment, according to a statement issued by the public prosecutor in the northern Louga region on Friday.

The development followed an order issued on October 15 by an investigating judge at the Louga High Court, directing that the 32 defendants be brought before the correctional court.

The prosecution comes amid a wider crackdown on suspected LGBTQ+ people in Senegal, with hundreds arrested in recent months.

In October, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that at least 212 people had been arrested between February and July, according to figures compiled by the African Forum for the Defence of Human Rights (RADDHO).

Senegal tightened its laws against homosexuality in March 2026, increasing the maximum prison sentence for consensual same-sex relations from five to 10 years.

The amended legislation also introduced penalties for promoting homosexuality and supporting or financing LGBTQ+ individuals and organisations.

The law and the subsequent arrests have drawn criticism from human rights organisations.

Ahead of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, scheduled to be held from October 31 to November 13, HRW urged the Senegalese authorities to end what it described as the brutal repression of LGBTQ+ people.

The organisation warned that the arrests and associated stigma were driving people into hiding and discouraging some from seeking HIV testing and treatment.