Senegal releases 28 of 99 men arrested on gay sex charges

Moïse Manoël-Florisse, is an African-Caribbean online journalist keeping an eye…

Remaining 71 men still could face up to 20 years in a Senegal prison.

Saliou Dicko, in his capacity as Public Prosecutor of Senegal, heads the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which brings public prosecutions and supports the prosecution (image @senenews). — **Saliou Dicko, Public Prosecutor of Senegal, has appealed the court decision to drop many of the charges against 71 men who still face homosexuality charges. (Photo courtesy of Senenews).**

Twenty-eight men in Senegal who were arrested on homosexuality charges have been released and the charges against them were dropped.

Seventy-one other men will still face legal proceedings on charges of “unnatural acts” and criminal conspiracy. Other charges against them were provisionally dropped.

Those actions was taken Aug. 7 by the investigating judge of the Pikine-Guédiawaye District Court in Senegal in connection with his investigative report on the 99 men charged with “unnatural acts,” criminal conspiracy, willful transmission of HIV, endangering the lives of others, money laundering, and, in some cases, complicity in the offer or sale of drugs.

Enforcement of these decisions is currently suspended pending the results of an appeal by the Public Prosecutor’s Offic to the Dakar Court of Appeals.

Since March 30, consensual same-sex relations in Senegal have been punishable by 5 to 10 years in prison, while fines for this type of offense can reach up to 10 million CFA francs (about 15,000 euros or U.S. 17,640) with no possibility of a reduced or suspended sentence. Those fines are extreme in a country where the median monthly wage was only 132 euros as of 2021/2022.

In addition, anyone convicted of the offenses loses the right to vote, hold public office, get a government job, possess weapons, serve as a guardian, or have a say in family matters.

Pape Cheikh Diallo was arrested on 7 February 2026 by the Keur Massar Criminal Investigation Unit in Dakar (@papecheikhdiallounivers) — **Pape Cheikh Diallo was arrested on Feb. 7 by the Keur Massar Criminal Investigation Unit in Dakar (Photo courtesy of @PapeCheikhDiallounivers)**

However, many of the defendants were arrested before the harsh new law took effect on March 30. For them, the former Article 319 applies, with lower maximum prison sentences and fines. For them, sentences could be up 1 to 5 years in prison and fines of 100,000 to 1,500,000 CFA francs (between 150 and 2,200 euros or U.S. $176 to $2,646.). Those could be the potential sentences facing television host Pape Cheikh Diallo.

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But a longer prison sentence longer than the 1 to 5 years could be imposed even on men who were arrested before March 30 if they are convicted of criminal conspiracy, which carries a sentence of 10 to 20 years’ imprisonment. (Law No. 2021-33 of July 23, 2021, and Article 5 of Law No. 65-60 of July 21, 1965).