On Oct. 16, police broke up what they claimed was a “gay marriage” in the Keur Gorgui section of Dakar and arrested 25 people there. The prosecutor has proposed that they be sentenced to two years in prison. A verdict in the case is scheduled for Nov. 6.

The people attending the party in Keur Gorgui were spotted coming and going and reported to police by neighbors, according to Souleymane Diouf (pseudonym), leader of the FREE collective, which defends the human rights of LGBTQ+ people in Senegal.

After the 25 arrests, police also arrested four teenage girls — three of them minors — on charges related to lesbianism. The girls were brought to court on Oct. 23, the same day as the trial of the 25 men. The teenagers appeared in children’s court and were released. Because of their youth, the specific charges against them were not announced.

In an interview with LGBTQ+ rights activist Moïse Manoal, Diouf said:

“As an activist, I fail to see what the 25 suspected gays did that was illegal and that triggered intervention by police. They rented an apartment to meet up and have fun. I don’t see what’s wrong with that.

“Under Article 319 of the Senegalese penal code, ‘unnatural’ acts are only condemned when they are committed in public. This offense is punishable by up to 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to 1.5 million CFA francs (about US $2,700). But if such acts occurred, it was in a private setting.” Read more via 76crimes