Burkina Faso Records First Conviction Under New Anti-Same-Sex Law
Burkina Faso has carried out its first conviction under a recently introduced law banning same-sex relations.
A man identified as K.M. was sentenced to two years in prison, fined about $3,580, and ordered to leave the country after serving his sentence.
The law, approved in September by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, allows punishments of up to five years in prison and heavy fines.
Before this, same-sex relationships were not criminalized in Burkina Faso.
Human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, say the country’s human rights situation has worsened since the military took power following the 2022 coups.