Penalties for homosexual relations have recently been intensified in Sénégal. A French citizen has been incarcerated in the country since February 14, 2026, facing charges that notably include “acts against nature,” according to information obtained from diplomatic channels on Friday.

This French national was apprehended on February 14, 2026, during a series of arrests, facing accusations of “acts against nature, criminal association, money laundering, and attempted HIV transmission,” as confirmed by officials familiar with the case.

The individual in question is an engineer in his thirties, who resides in Dakar.

escalating homophobia

The French Embassy in Dakar is closely monitoring the situation of its compatriot. Our consulate has conducted four visits to him as part of its consular protection mandate and maintains consistent communication with his family, a practice also upheld by the Quai d’Orsay services in Paris, officials stated.

Sénégal, a nation with a predominantly Muslim population, enacted a new law in early March that now mandates prison sentences ranging from five to ten years for homosexual relations. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye officially promulgated this legislation on March 31.

This legal development unfolds amidst a surge of homophobia across the country, marked by a series of arrests targeting individuals for suspected homosexuality. Relations between same-sex partners are widely regarded as a deviation in Sénégal, and the intensified crackdown on such acts has been a long-standing and politically significant pledge by the current ruling administration.

France reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the universal and indivisible respect for human rights, advocating for the global decriminalization of homosexuality, championing the rights of LGBT+ individuals, and actively combating discrimination rooted in sexual orientation and gender identity, a French diplomatic source emphasized.