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| Shock at Senegal gay jail terms | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The jailing in Senegal of nine gay men for eight years over "indecent conduct and unnatural acts" has been condemned by an international gay rights group. | |
| Homosexual acts are illegal in Senegal but the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) told the BBC it was "shocked by the ruling". | |
| The judge added three years to a five-year sentence, saying the men were also members of a criminal group. | |
| Most of them belonged to an association set up to fight HIV and Aids. | Most of them belonged to an association set up to fight HIV and Aids. |
| "This is the first time that the Senegalese legal system has handed down such a harsh sentence against gays," said Issa Diop, one of the men's four defence lawyers. | "This is the first time that the Senegalese legal system has handed down such a harsh sentence against gays," said Issa Diop, one of the men's four defence lawyers. |
| The extremity of this sentence [and] the rapidness of the trial all really shocks us in a country which has been moving so positively towards rule of law IGLHRC's Cary Alan Johnson | The extremity of this sentence [and] the rapidness of the trial all really shocks us in a country which has been moving so positively towards rule of law IGLHRC's Cary Alan Johnson |
| Mr Diop said he would be appealing against the sentences. | Mr Diop said he would be appealing against the sentences. |
| The IGLHRC's Cary Alan Johnson said he was "deeply disturbed" by the case. | |
| "There have been pretty consistent human rights violations⦠in Senegal," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme from Cape Town in South Africa. | |
| "But the extremity of this sentence [and] the rapidness of the trial all really shocks us in a country which has been moving so positively towards rule of law and a progressive human rights regime." | "But the extremity of this sentence [and] the rapidness of the trial all really shocks us in a country which has been moving so positively towards rule of law and a progressive human rights regime." |
| The head of a gay rights organisation in Senegal told AFP news agency that the situation for gay people in the country was getting worse. | The head of a gay rights organisation in Senegal told AFP news agency that the situation for gay people in the country was getting worse. |
| "Many gays are already fleeing to neighbouring countries because of our living conditions," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. | "Many gays are already fleeing to neighbouring countries because of our living conditions," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. |
| Senegal is a predominantly Muslim country and gay men and women remain socially marginalised. | Senegal is a predominantly Muslim country and gay men and women remain socially marginalised. |
| In February 2008, a magazine editor received death threats after publishing pictures claiming to depict a wedding ceremony between two men. | In February 2008, a magazine editor received death threats after publishing pictures claiming to depict a wedding ceremony between two men. |
| Several men were also arrested in connection with the publication but later released. | Several men were also arrested in connection with the publication but later released. |