HRW calls for end to Senegal LGBTQ crackdown ahead of Youth Olympics
In March, the west African nation adopted new legislation doubling the maximum penalty for same-sex relations to up to 10 years in prison.
Human Rights Watch has called for an end to Senegal's crackdown on LGBTQ+ individuals ahead of the country hosting the Youth Olympic Games. Senegal recently doubled the maximum sentence for same-sex relations to up to 10 years in prison. The deeply religious, predominantly Muslim nation has seen a surge in homophobia in recent months, with dozens of people arrested for same-sex relations, including 71 men referred to trial in August.
The Olympic Charter prohibits discrimination, requiring host countries to respect human rights and dignity. HRW's rights researcher, Larissa Kojoue, highlighted the violation of rights, fear, stigma, and deterrence of legal representation, urging an immediate end to the crackdown. The law, passed overwhelmingly by Senegal's National Assembly, also criminalizes promoting or financing same-sex relationships.
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