LGBT rights in Burundi | |
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Status | Illegal since 2009 [1] |
Penalty | 3 months to 2 years imprisonment and fines |
Gender identity | No |
Military | No |
Discrimination protections | None |
Family rights | |
Recognition of relationships | No recognition of same-sex unions |
Restrictions | Same-sex marriage banned constitutionally since 2005 |
Adoption | No |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Burundi face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT citizens. While never criminalized before 2009, Burundi has since criminalized same-sex sexual activity by both men and women with a penalty up to two years in prison and a fine. LGBT persons are regularly prosecuted and persecuted by the government and additionally face stigmatisation among the broader population.
According to an unofficial English translation of Article 567 of the Burundi Penal Code, a person who has sexual relations with someone of the same sex may be punished with imprisonment for three months to two years and a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 francs. [2] [Note 1]
On 1 July 2009, a young man was arrested for allegedly committing sexual violence against a club patron in Bujumbura. The police later stated the man was arrested for being gay but offered to release the suspect in exchange for money. Advocacy by human rights NGOs and the LGBT community helped secure his release from police custody. In 2012, two lesbians were briefly arrested and subsequently released. [3] In September 2014, a Vietnamese employee of the telephone company Viettel was caught in sexual relations with a Burundian man in Karuzi Province. The Burundian man alleged that it was non-consensual sex, and the Vietnamese man was detained. Authorities dropped the case after three days for lack of evidence. [4] On 2 November 2016, the High Court of Cibitoke Province sentenced a 15-year-old boy who admitted to the rape of a seven-year-old boy to one year in prison. The adolescent was charged with rape of a minor and homosexuality. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]
In December 2023, President Évariste Ndayishimiye said that gay sex is like "choos[ing] Satan" and that the death penalty is morally (if not legally) appropriate. He said: "For me, I think that if we find these people in Burundi they should be taken to stadiums and be stoned, and doing so would not be a crime." [12]
Burundi does not recognise same-sex marriage and civil unions. Article 29 of the Burundi Constitution bans same-sex marriage. [13] [Note 2]
According to a website of the French government, single and married people are eligible to adopt children. The website does not say whether single LGBT people are disqualified or not. [14]
The U.S. Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2016 stated that: [5]
Acts of Violence, Discrimination, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
The law criminalizes same-sex sexual acts with penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment of three months to two years. According to Burundi Africa Generation News, on 2 November, the High Court of Cibitoke Province sentenced a 15-year-old boy who admitted to the rape of a seven-year-old boy to one year in prison. The adolescent was charged with rape of a minor and homosexuality. There were no other reports of prosecution for homosexuality during the year. The Remuruka Center in Bujumbura offered urgent services to the LGBTI community. The government neither supported nor hindered the activities of local LGBTI organizations or the center.
Same-sex sexual activity legal. | ![]() |
Equal age of consent | ![]() |
Anti-discrimination laws in employment only | ![]() |
Anti-discrimination laws in the provision of goods and services | ![]() |
Anti-discrimination laws in all other areas (Incl. indirect discrimination, hate speech) | ![]() |
Same-sex marriages | ![]() |
Recognition of same-sex couples | ![]() |
Step-child adoption by same-sex couples | ![]() |
Joint adoption by same-sex couples | ![]() |
Gays and lesbians allowed to serve openly in the military | ![]() |
Right to change legal gender | ![]() |
Access to IVF for lesbians | ![]() |
Commercial surrogacy for gay male couples | ![]() |
MSMs allowed to donate blood | ![]() |
Quiconque fait des relations sexuelles avec la personne de même sexe est puni d’une servitude pénale de trois mois à deux ans et d’une amende de cinquante mille francs à cent mille francs ou d’une de ces peines seulement.
La liberté de se marier est garantie, de même que le droit de choisir son ou sa partenaire. Le mariage ne peut être conclu qu’avec le libre et plein consentement des futurs époux. Le mariage entre deux personnes de même sexe est interdit.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Chad face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female forms of same-sex sexual activity are illegal in the country. Before the new penal code took effect in August 2017, homosexual activity between adults had never been criminalised. There is no legal protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) face discrimination and legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity is legal for both males and females in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, although LGBT individuals may still be targeted for prosecution under public indecency provisions on occasion.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan face severe challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Afghan members of the LGBT community are forced to keep their gender identity and sexual orientation secret, in fear of violence and the death penalty. The religious nature of the country has limited any opportunity for public discussion, with any mention of homosexuality and related terms deemed taboo.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Cameroon face severe challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity are illegal in Cameroon and LGBT people face prevalent discrimination among the broader population. As of 2020, Cameroon "currently prosecutes consensual same sex conduct more aggressively than almost any country in the world".
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Zimbabwe face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Since 1995, the Government of Zimbabwe has carried out campaigns against LGBT rights. Sodomy is classified as unlawful sexual conduct and defined in the Criminal Code as either anal sexual intercourse or any "indecent act" between consenting adults. Since 1995, the government has carried out campaigns against both homosexual men and women.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Albania face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents, although LGBT people are protected under comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation. Both male and female same-gender sexual activities have been legal in Albania since 1995, but households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-gender couples, with same-sex unions not being recognized in the country in any form.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Armenia face legal and social challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents, due in part to the lack of laws prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity and in part to prevailing negative attitudes about LGBT persons throughout society.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Azerbaijan face significant challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Azerbaijan since 1 September 2000. Nonetheless, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity are not banned in the country and same-sex marriage is not recognized.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Ethiopia face significant challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity are illegal in the country, with reports of high levels of discrimination and abuses against LGBT people. Ethiopia has a long history of social conservatism and same-sex sexual activity is considered a social taboo.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Cape Verde are afforded greater protections than those in many other African countries. Homosexual activity has been legal in Cape Verde since 2004. Additionally, since 2008, employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation has been banned, making Cape Verde one of the few African countries to have such protections for LGBT people. Nevertheless, Cape Verde does not recognize same-sex unions or marriages, meaning that same-sex couples may still face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Households headed by same-sex couples are also not eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-sex couples.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Rwanda face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. While neither homosexuality nor homosexual acts are illegal, homosexuality is considered a taboo topic, and there is no significant public discussion of this issue in any region of the country and LGBT people still face stigmatization among the broader population. No anti-discrimination laws are afforded to LGBT citizens, and same-sex marriages are not recognized by the state, as the Constitution of Rwanda provides that "[o]nly civil monogamous marriage between a man and a woman is recognized". LGBT Rwandans have reported being harassed, blackmailed, and even arrested by the police under various laws dealing with public order and morality.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Namibia have limited legal protections. Sexual contact between men is criminalised within Namibia, although this law is generally unenforced. Discrimination based on sexual orientation is banned in Namibia but not for gender identity.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Senegal experience legal persecution. Senegal specifically outlaws same-sex sexual acts and, in the past, has prosecuted men accused of homosexuality. Members of the LGBT community face routine discrimination in Senegalese society.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the Ivory Coast face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female types of same-sex sexual activity are legal in Ivory Coast, but same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-sex couples.
With the exceptions of some countries in Africa like South Africa, Cape Verde, Mauritius, Seychelles, Angola, Botswana, and Mozambique, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Africa are limited in comparison to the Americas, Western Europe and Oceania.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Guinea-Bissau face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Guinea-Bissau, but same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-sex couples.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Togo face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Togo.
Corrective rape, also called curative rape or homophobic rape, is a hate crime in which one or more people are raped because of their perceived sexual orientation, such as homosexuality or bisexuality. The common intended consequence of the rape, as claimed by the perpetrator, is to turn the person heterosexual.
Capital punishment as a criminal punishment for homosexuality has been implemented by a number of countries in their history. It currently remains a legal punishment in several countries and regions, most of which have sharia–based criminal laws except for Uganda.
Gervais Ndirakobuca is a Burundian politician, former police officer and rebel commander serving as the Prime Minister of Burundi since 7 September 2022. Prior to that, he was the Minister of Interior, Public Security, and Community Development. He is known for his violent crackdown of the 2015 civil protest in Burundi and was under United States and European Union sanctions for human rights violations when President Évariste Ndayishimiye appointed him security minister.