Burkina Faso Records First Conviction Under New Anti-Same-S3x Law

Burkina Faso has secured its first conviction under a recently enacted law criminalising same-sex relations, sentencing an individual identified as K.M. to two years in prison, a fine of about $3,580, and ordering his expulsion from the country after completing the sentence.

The conviction follows a ban approved in September by junta leader Ibrahim Traoré, which introduced penalties of up to five years’ imprisonment and heavy fines for same-sex relations. Prior to the new legislation, same-sex relations were not criminalised in the country.

Human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch, have raised concerns over the ruling junta’s governance, warning that human rights conditions have deteriorated significantly since the military coups of 2022.

The case has intensified debate locally and internationally over civil liberties and the direction of governance under Burkina Faso’s military leadership.