Burkina Faso’s transitional parliament has passed a controversial amendment to the family code that criminalizes same-sex relations, introducing jail terms of two to five years and monetary fines. The legislation, which was unanimously approved by all 71 lawmakers, came into force immediately, as reported by the Associated Press.
Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala explained on state television that the law also empowers authorities to deport foreign nationals convicted of same-sex practices. He framed the legislation as a defense of “marriage and family values,” denouncing homosexuality as “bizarre behavior,” Reuters noted in its coverage.
With this move, Burkina Faso joins over half of African countries that have laws outlawing LGBTQ practices. Regional media highlighted that the Sahel nation is now aligned with countries like Uganda and Nigeria, which enforce strict penalties for same-sex relations, Africanews reported.
Rights groups swiftly criticized the development. Amnesty International described the law as a setback for human rights and warned that it could fuel further discrimination and isolation of LGBTQ people, undermining the country’s international commitments on equality and privacy, as shared in Amnesty’s statement.
