LGBTQI+ Human Rights Violations in Senegal

The flag of Senegal

ReportOUT strongly condemns the recent passage of legislation by the National Assembly of Senegal that significantly intensifies the criminalization of LGBTIQ+ people and those who support them in Senegal.

Passed in March 2026, the law doubles the maximum prison sentence for consensual same-sex relations from five to ten years. Along with this sentence comes stipulations that criminalise even the “promotion, support, or funding” of initiatives supporting sexual and gender minorities and threatens access to lifesaving services for already vulnerable groups. In doing so, it expands criminal liability beyond conduct to include identity, expression, association, and advocacy. We call on the Government of Senegal to cast away hate and choose humanity by reversing this law.

This legitimization of violence directly targets LGBTIQ+ individuals, as well as human rights defenders, civil society organizations, public health practitioners, and any individual or institution perceived to be supporting LGBTIQ+ communities. It represents a profound escalation from the criminalization of same-sex relations already embedded in Senegal’s penal code to a broader system of repression that seeks to silence, isolate, and endanger entire communities and those working alongside them.

ReportOUT considers this law to be a grave violation of international human rights obligations. It undermines fundamental rights, including the right to privacy, freedom of expression, and freedom of association, and entrenches discrimination through state-sanctioned legal mechanisms. The implications extend beyond legal persecution; by criminalizing “support,” the law also poses a direct and dangerous threat to public health and other local infrastructure and entities at risk, particularly HIV prevention and sexual health services. Evidence consistently demonstrates that such laws drive affected populations underground, disrupt access to care, and exacerbate health inequities.

The mechanisms enabled by this legislation create conditions for arbitrary arrest and detention, the suppression of civil society, and the silencing of advocacy, while simultaneously legitimizing stigma, discrimination, and violence. In this way, the law not only punishes individuals but also dismantles the systems of protection and support that are essential to their safety and wellbeing.

ReportOUT unequivocally condemns this legislation as a serious and escalating threat to LGBTIQ+ human rights. We call on the Government of Senegal to halt its enactment and to uphold its international human rights commitments. We further urge international partners, multilateral institutions, and global health and human rights actors to respond with urgency, including through diplomatic engagement and coordinated action to protect affected communities.

We also call on other global actors from across the international human rights space to engage diplomatically, provide and extend protective measures, and to continue to support civil society monitoring to prevent such heinous acts from occurring.

This law does not safeguard society; it criminalizes identity, suppresses dignity, and endangers lives. Immediate action is required to prevent further harm and to ensure that the fundamental rights of all people in Senegal are respected and protected.

In solidarity,

ReportOUT