The bill was passed on Wednesday by the National Assembly of Senegal with strong support from lawmakers. It now awaits the signature of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye before it becomes law.
Under the proposed legislation, same-sex relations — described in the law as “acts against nature” — would carry a prison sentence of between five and 10 years. Previously, the punishment ranged from one to five years.
The bill also introduces prison terms of three to seven years for people found guilty of promoting or supporting same-sex relationships.
Reports in local media say dozens of men have been arrested under existing anti-LGBTQ laws since February. The arrests reportedly began after police detained 12 men, including two local celebrities.
In many cases, arrests have followed accusations from others or searches of mobile phones. Authorities have also made the names of some detainees public.
The new legislation also includes penalties for people who falsely accuse others of same-sex offences without evidence.
After several hours of debate, lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in favour of the bill, with 135 votes supporting it, none opposing it, and three abstentions.
During the debate, lawmaker Diaraye Ba said the measure was meant to strengthen the country’s laws against same-sex relations, drawing applause from some members of parliament.
The law also states that harsher punishment will apply if the offence involves a minor.
In addition to prison sentences, the bill proposes higher fines ranging from two million to ten million CFA francs. This is a significant increase from the previous fines of 100,000 to 1.5 million CFA francs.
Some of the recent arrests have also involved allegations of deliberately spreading HIV, a claim that has intensified debate in the country over same-sex relations.
