Since early February, Senegal has seen a surge in homophobic sentiment, leading to the arrest of approximately twenty individuals for "acts against nature." Among those detained are local celebrities, including radio/TV host Pape Cheikh Diallo and singer Djiby Dramé, as well as RTS journalist Pape Biram Bigué Ndiaye. Some arrestees, who are HIV-positive, face accusations of "voluntary transmission of HIV/AIDS" and endangering others, with authorities presenting condoms as evidence. This situation is compounded by the dismantling of an international pedophilia ring, with which media outlets have sometimes conflated the homosexuality cases. Human Rights Watch has condemned these arrests and the proposed legal reforms, which aim to increase penalties for homosexual relations and punish those who "apologize" for them, citing violations of privacy and detrimental effects on HIV prevention efforts.