The jailing in Senegal of 9 gay men for 8 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) has said 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. The head of a gay rights organization in Senegal said that the situation for gay people in the country was getting worse. "Many gays are already fleeing to neighboring 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 marginalized.