Senegal prosecutes 32 people over HIV transmission
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Leadership
Senegalese justice has referred 32 people to a Louga criminal court over allegations of homosexual acts, wilful HIV transmission and other offences. The proceedings follow hundreds of arrests targeting LGBTQ+ people amid tougher Senegalese legislation, according to the prosecution and Human Rights Watch.
Senegalese justice has referred 32 people to the criminal court on charges described as “unnatural acts” and the wilful transmission of HIV, according to a statement by the public prosecutor for the Louga region published on Friday. The defendants are also facing charges of criminal conspiracy, endangering the lives of others, unlawful collection of personal data and sexual harassment.
The referral follows an order issued on 15 October by an investigating judge at the Louga High Court. The proceedings are part of a campaign of arrests targeting people suspected of belonging to the LGBTQ+ community, with at least 212 arrests recorded between February and July, according to figures compiled by the African Forum for the Defence of Human Rights and reported by Human Rights Watch.
In March 2026, Senegal toughened penalties for consensual same-sex relations, raising the maximum sentence from five to 10 years in prison and also criminalising the promotion, support or financing of LGBTQ+ people and organisations. Human Rights Watch called on the authorities to end the arrests before the Dakar Youth Olympic Games, scheduled from 31 October to 13 November, saying that stigmatisation discourages some people from getting tested and receiving HIV treatment.
