While thousands of teenage athletes compete at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, a court in the north of the country is preparing a very different kind of event.

On October 30, the public prosecutor in Louga, in northern Senegal, announced that 32 people have been sent to trial on a list of charges that starts with “acts against nature” and “wilful transmission” of HIV, AFP reports. According to AFP, they join 71 others already facing trial in Senegal’s widening crackdown on LGBTQ people.

Here’s what we know, what we don’t, and why the HIV charges are the part to watch.

The charges

The prosecutor’s statement, published in full by Senegalese outlet Actusen, lists six charges against all 32 people:

  • criminal conspiracy (association de malfaiteurs)
  • “acts against nature” (actes contre nature), the legal term Senegal uses for same-sex relations
  • wilful transmission of HIV/AIDS
  • endangering the lives of others
  • unlawful collection of personal data
  • sexual harassment

The timeline, per the same statement: the investigation opened on April 23, 2026. The prosecutor asked for a trial on October 12, and on October 15 an investigating judge at the Louga high court sent all 32 to the criminal court.

A referral is not a verdict. Nobody has been convicted in this case, and nothing in the referral proves that anyone transmitted HIV to anyone.

When is the trial?

That’s unclear. The prosecutor’s statement says the case will go to a special hearing “dont la date reste inconnue”, whose date is still unknown. A weekly newsletter by human rights advocate Fabrice Houdart, citing the Senegalese site PressAfrik, says the case was called on October 28 and postponed to November 12, the day before the Games close. We’ll update when the date is confirmed.

Why the HIV charges matter

This is not the first time Senegal has paired HIV charges with same-sex charges. In its October 12 report, Human Rights Watch said authorities forced most people detained in the crackdown to take HIV tests, then used positive results in the charges. 82 people were charged with “voluntary HIV transmission”. In August, a court threw those charges out.

Two months later, prosecutors in Louga are bringing the same type of charge again.

Public-health workers have warned for months what this does. A Dakar doctor told HRW that “one-third no longer come in for appointments to seek HIV treatment.” When getting tested can become evidence in a criminal case, people stop getting tested. That’s bad for everyone, not just LGBTQ people.

We covered HRW’s report and the forced testing in detail last month.

The law behind it

Same-sex relations have been illegal in Senegal since 1965. In March 2026, parliament doubled the maximum prison sentence from five years to 10 years, as we reported when the law was signed. AFP says hundreds of people, mostly men and including some local celebrities, have been arrested in recent months.

Senegal isn’t alone. AFP notes that several West African countries have recently passed laws criminalising homosexuality, and only about 20 of Africa’s 54 countries don’t criminalise it. We mapped that trend in our West Africa explainer.

The Olympic backdrop

The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympic event ever held on African soil, run from October 31 to November 13 with 2,700 young athletes, according to AFP.

Before the Games opened, Human Rights Watch called on Senegal to stop the “brutal repression” of LGBTQ people, pointing out that the Olympic Charter prohibits all forms of discrimination. The crackdown, HRW said, is “causing increasing fear and stigma, and should be ended immediately.”

So far, we’ve found no reports of athletes or visitors being arrested during the Games. But the contrast is hard to miss: a global celebration of young people in the capital, and a mass trial built partly on HIV status in the north.

What to watch next

  • The hearing date. Whether the special hearing really lands on November 12, during the Games.
  • The HIV charges. Whether the Louga court follows the August ruling that threw out similar charges.
  • The 71 others. AFP says they’re already facing trial. Their cases will show how Senegal’s courts are applying the March law.

If you’re reading this from Senegal: you are not alone, and you don’t owe anyone your status or your story. Keep your medication going if you can, keep your phone locked down, and lean on the people you trust.