Arrest toll mounts and gay men flee the country as new, harsher legislation cracks down on ‘promotion’ of homosexuality.
The Guardian news story
On 27 March, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye signed a new law in Senegal doubling the maximum prison term to 10 years for sexual acts by same-sex couples and criminalising the “promotion” of homosexuality.
According to HIV Justice Network, more than 60 people have been detained since the beginning of February on Article 319 charges, which carry a sentence of one to five years in prison. Article 319 of the penal code criminalises same-sex relations as “acts against nature”.
For years, arrests have typically surged during periods of political pressure or public moral panic. However, the latest wave is “unprecedented in the region” due to the forced HIV testing of those arrested and the automatic addition of intentional transmission charges for those who test positive.
The impact of the February arrests on HIV healthcare was immediate. A rapid assessment carried out by CNLS from 26 to 28 February across 22 treatment sites recorded a 34.5% decline in consultations and found 44% of MSM patients reporting depression or anxiety. The decline was directly linked to the early February arrests triggering panic through MSM communities.
Read the full news story here.
Source : The Guardian
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