Euro MP condemns anti-LGBTQ+ crackdown in Senegal

French Member of the European Parliament Manon Aubry has voiced strong opposition to the escalating repression of LGBTQ+ individuals in Senegal, urging immediate French intervention to protect those at risk and support victims of what she terms a systemic persecution.

French politician slams Senegal’s anti-LGBTQ+ legislation

Manon Aubry, a prominent figure in France’s left-wing political landscape and leader of the European Parliament’s left group, has publicly condemned new legislation in Senegal that criminalizes same-sex relationships, imposing prison sentences of up to a decade.

In a strongly worded statement shared online, she emphasized the urgency of addressing what she describes as a state-sanctioned campaign targeting LGBTQ+ individuals. « Homosexuality is not a crime, yet Senegal has chosen to institutionalize hatred through laws that punish people for who they love, » Aubry declared.

Call for French diplomatic action

The French politician also highlighted the case of a French national detained under these laws, stressing the need for France to take diplomatic and consular action. « The French government must secure the release of its citizen and provide asylum to Senegalese refugees fleeing persecution, » she insisted.

Her remarks come amid growing concern over the safety of LGBTQ+ communities in Senegal, where homophobic violence and legal discrimination have intensified in recent months.