A court in Senegal has issued the first conviction under a new law that introduced tougher punishment for same-sex acts, which was passed last month.

On April 10, a 24-year-old man in Pikine-Guédiawaye, a suburb of Dakar, was sentenced to six years in prison and received a fine of $3,300 for “acts against nature and public indecency”. The man was arrested earlier this month.

His conviction is the first issued under the new legislation introduced in Senegal, which doubled the maximum penalty for same-sex acts from five to 10 years in prison.

In addition to doubling punishment, the new law introduced prison sentences between three and seven years for the “promotion” or “financing” of homosexuality. This move was seen as a crackdown on LGBTQ+ advocacy groups.

Additionally, the law introduced penalties for anyone who accuses another person of same-sex relationships without “proof”.

The legislation was signed into law by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye after being passed by the National Assembly with an overwhelming majority.

Speaking to the Associated Press on Monday, April 13, Human Rights Watch researcher Larissa Kojoué said that the law has created a climate of “constant fear” for LGBTQ+ people in Senegal and that arrests have intensified “because now there is backing from the state apparatus.”

In recent months, Senegal has enacted a wide crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights. In February, 12 men were arrested in the capital city of Dakar, a move which ignited international concern over the country’s punitive laws. In addition to same-sex activity, the men had been accused of the intentional transmission of HIV, with many rights organisations warning that these arrests will intensify stigma and hinder protection and education efforts.

At the time, Kojoué said this high-profile arrest was “fueling fear among the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community”.

She wrote: “Criminalising same‑sex conduct and arresting people for their sexual orientation or gender expression violates multiple internationally protected rights, including to equality and nondiscrimination.”