Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Senegal to immediately end its escalating crackdown on LGBT people, warning that mass arrests, forced HIV testing and obstacles to legal representation are violating fundamental human rights and undermining efforts to combat HIV.
Same-sex sexual conduct has been criminalised in Senegal since 1965, but hostility toward LGBT people has significantly intensified in recent years, fuelled by false narratives that LGBT people’s identities are un-African and violate traditional values.
In a report released ahead of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, which Senegal will host from 31 October to 13 November, HRW said the latest crackdown was intensifying fear, stigma and discrimination, forcing LGBT people to restrict their movements, abandon community activities and avoid healthcare services.
On 11 March 2026, Senegal’s parliament amended Article 319 of the penal code, doubling the maximum prison sentence for consensual same-sex conduct to 10 years. The law also introduced prison terms of up to seven years for those accused of “promoting homosexuality” or supporting and financing LGBT people and organisations.
The amendments followed a wave of arrests that began in late 2025 and continued to escalate into 2026. According to data collected by the Senegalese human rights organisation RADDHO, at least 212 people were arrested between February and July. The HIV Justice Network reported that the figure exceeded 300, although HRW said it could not independently verify the total.
“LGBT people are being forced to curb their normal activities and to keep from exercising their rights for fear of arrest and increased stigma,” said Larissa Kojoué, HRW’s LGBT rights researcher.
HRW documented allegations that authorities subjected detainees to HIV testing without informed consent and used their HIV status to justify additional criminal charges or prolonged detention. Such practices, health professionals warned, violate medical confidentiality and discourage people from seeking HIV testing and treatment.
One doctor in Dakar told HRW that a third of patients had stopped attending appointments for HIV treatment.
The report also highlighted allegations of physical abuse, prolonged pretrial detention and the disclosure of confidential personal and medical information to the media. Fear of prosecution has made lawyers reluctant to represent LGBT defendants, while some detainees have reportedly been pressured to waive their right to legal counsel.
The consequences extend beyond those arrested. Interviewees described anxiety, depression, threats of violence, family rejection and being forced into hiding or fleeing the country.
HRW warned that the crackdown raises serious questions about Senegal’s compliance with its constitution, national HIV legislation and international human rights obligations. It also questioned the country’s commitment to the Olympic Charter, which prohibits discrimination and upholds human dignity.
The organisation urged Senegal’s government to release people arbitrarily detained, repeal the amended provisions criminalising consensual same-sex conduct and support for LGBT people, investigate alleged abuses, and guarantee access to legal representation and confidential healthcare.
“Senegal’s government should call a halt to this crackdown, which threatens everyone’s rights,” Kojoué said.
