(Adnkronos) – Senegal’s President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has signed the law that doubles the penalties for gay relations, reaching up to 10 years in prison amidst a repressive wave against the country’s gay community. The law, approved by a large majority in the National Assembly, also provides for criminal sentences, between three and seven years, for those convicted of promoting and financing homosexual relations. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, called the measure “deeply concerning” because it “violates sacrosanct human rights”.
The law punishes with sentences between five and 10 years those defined as “unnatural acts”, previously punished with sentences between one and five years of imprisonment. According to local media, dozens of men have been arrested for violating the law since last February when raids began with the arrest of 12 men, including two local celebrities. The LGBTQ rights group Ilga World had asked President Faye not to sign the law, urging him to maintain “respect for freedom and the human person”.
