Niger Arrests Up to 40 After New Code Criminalizes Same-Sex Relations With 10-Year Terms
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 1
Niger Arrests Up to 40 After New Code Criminalizes Same-Sex Relations With 10-Year Terms
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 1
Summary
Up to 40 people have been arrested in Niger and 16 men — including senior military officers — have been jailed since a February penal code made same-sex relations a crime.
The law punishes "unnatural acts" and sex with a same-sex partner with up to 10 years in prison and 100 million CFA francs in fines, while gay marriage and LGBTQ+ groups can draw 20-year terms.
HIV service providers for men who have sex with men say they have halted work as people go into hiding, cutting access to condoms, testing and PrEP and raising fears of more infections.
Gen Abdourahamane Tiani's military government enacted the penalties after a 2025 charter banned LGBTQ+ relations, aligning Niger with Mali and Burkina Faso in a broader Sahel crackdown.
Niger, which recorded an estimated 32,000 new HIV infections in 2023, last week was among eight countries voting against a UN HIV/AIDS declaration as rights groups urged repeal.
Is Niger's anti-LGBTQ+ law part of a wider rejection of Western values by Africa's military governments?
With HIV services collapsing in Niger, how can a catastrophic public health crisis now be prevented?
Why does the US arm Niger's regime while it simultaneously crushes civil liberties and human rights?
Niger’s 2026 Anti-LGBTQ+ Law: Human Rights, Political Roots, and the West African Wave
Overview
In June 2026, Niger enacted a new anti-LGBTQ+ law, marking a sharp departure from its previous legal stance where homosexuality was not explicitly criminalized. The new law replaces the old penal code, which only addressed acts against minors, and now imposes severe penalties—up to five years in prison for same-sex adult relations and up to twenty years for those who support or organize LGBTQ+ activities. This shift positions Niger among the most repressive countries in West Africa, causing alarm among human rights defenders and creating a highly restrictive environment for LGBTQ+ individuals and advocates.