Senegal Hands Down Its First Conviction Under Toughened Anti-Gay Law: Six Years for a 24-Year-Old Laborer

On April 10, a court in Pikine-Guédiawaye — a densely populated suburb on the outskirts of Dakar — sentenced a 24-year-old laborer to six years in prison and a fine of 2 million CFA francs (roughly $3,300) for “acts against nature and public indecency.”

It was the first conviction under Senegal’s toughened anti-homosexuality law, which took effect in January and raised the maximum prison sentence for same-sex relations from five to ten years. The law also introduced penalties for the “promotion” or “financing” of homosexuality — language widely understood as targeting LGBTQ+ civil society organizations and their donors.

The case is now a data point. It tells us how the law works in practice, and the picture is grim.

What Happened

On April 2, according to court documents, a witness discovered two men in tall grass near the National Arena in Pikine-Guédiawaye. The witness filmed the encounter on a phone before approaching. One man fled. The defendant — unable to run — was apprehended on the spot.

During interrogation, the young man told police he had agreed to the encounter in exchange for 2,000 CFA francs — roughly $3.57.

He was not represented by a lawyer at trial. The court convicted him within days.

What the Law Changed

Senegal has criminalized same-sex relations since independence, under Article 319 of the penal code, which prescribes one to five years in prison for “unnatural acts.” The law passed in January 2026 raised the ceiling to ten years and added new offenses targeting advocacy work.

But the severity of this first sentence — six years, exceeding the old maximum — signals that courts are not treating the new law as a minor adjustment. The judge applied the enhanced penalties immediately and without apparent hesitation.

Human Rights Watch researcher Larissa Kojoué told reporters that the new law has created a climate of “constant fear” among LGBTQ+ Senegalese. Arrests, she said, have become more aggressive “because now there is backing from the state apparatus.”

The Broader Context

Senegal was once considered one of West Africa’s more moderate countries on LGBTQ+ issues — not because it was tolerant, but because enforcement was relatively sporadic. That changed in 2024 and 2025, as political leaders across the Sahel and West Africa competed to demonstrate social conservatism.

The toughened law followed a regional pattern. In Uganda, the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023 introduced the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality.” Ghana’s parliament passed a bill criminalizing LGBTQ+ identity in 2024, though it was not signed by the outgoing president. Across the continent, American evangelical organizations and Russian diplomatic influence have been documented pushing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation — a dynamic CNN detailed in a March 2026 investigation.

Senegal’s law emerged from the same current. It passed with broad parliamentary support and was framed as a defense of Senegalese values against Western cultural influence — a framing that makes it politically difficult to challenge from within.

What Comes Next

The defendant can appeal the conviction, though legal representation for people accused under sodomy laws in West Africa is scarce. Organizations that might provide legal aid now risk prosecution themselves under the new “promotion” provisions.

International pressure has had limited effect. The EU and several European foreign ministries issued statements condemning the law when it passed in January. Those statements did not stop the law from being enforced.

What the first conviction establishes is precedent. Senegalese prosecutors now know the law works. Judges have shown they will apply the enhanced penalties. And for LGBTQ+ Senegalese — estimated at hundreds of thousands in a country of 18 million — the message is unambiguous: the state is watching, and the consequences are real.

A young man is in prison for six years. He was paid $3.57.