Read time:42 seconds
Fifteen men have been arrested on “suspicion of homosexuality” at a bar in a suburb of Banjul, the capital of Gambia.
The men were arrested late on Monday when police raided a bar after receiving tips of people “publicly displaying or promoting homosexual activities” a senior police officer told AFP under the condition of anonymity.
Police officials said: “They will be charged accordingly after we have completed our investigations”.
Homosexuality is banned in Gambia, with men or women in same-sex relationships sentenced to up to 14 years in prison.
President Yahya Jammeh has repeatedly denounced homosexuality. In 2008 he vowed to behead LGBT people, a threat he later retracted.
The treatment of LGBT people has drawn criticism from international observers, including a plea from UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon calling on African nations to respect LGBT rights.
