Antigay Violence on the Rise in Senegal

Antigay violence is on the rise in the western African nation of Senegal, likely the result of political scapegoating in the run-up to the 2012 presidential election, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch.

Beatings, arrests, and lynchings have increased significantly over the past two years in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, according to the New York-based organization.

"When elections are coming up and politicians are under scrutiny, all of a sudden there is more focus on homosexuality, because that's a very easy target," Boris Dittrich, acting director of Human Rights Watch's LGBT rights program, said in an interview with Bloomberg.

View the HRW report here.