Seychelles Passes LGBTIQ-Inclusive Hate Crimes Bill

The island nation of Seychelles has become the second African country to pass legislation protecting people from identity-based hate crimes, including members of the LGBTIQ+ community.

On 19 September, the Seychelles National Assembly passed the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill. The landmark law provides for harsher punishments for crimes motivated by prejudice and hate, particularly against marginalised groups.

It states that “the inclusion of hate as an aggravating factor aims to enhance the severity of penalties when crimes are committed due to bias or prejudice, based on protected characteristics such as race, religious belief, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics, political affiliation, and HIV/AIDS status.”

The Seychelles News Agency reported that the law also introduces hate speech as an offence within the Penal Code, imposing penalties on those who incite hatred towards a person or group based on their protected characteristics.

Eighteen members of the National Assembly voted for and eight voted against the amendment. Vice President Ahmed Afif, who presented the bill, said, “The amendment will protect vulnerable groups in society from acts of discrimination, violence, and intimidation.”

He added, “We cannot target an individual for things that they were born with, life events that have affected them, or for choosing to live their lives differently from what we consider as the norm.”

This is a significant development for the Indian Ocean nation, which only scrapped its colonial-era ban on homosexuality in 2016.

“By enacting this law, Seychelles has taken a strong stance against hate-motivated violence, ensuring that the most vulnerable members of society are protected,” commented Téa Braun, Chief Executive of the Human Dignity Trust, which provided technical legal assistance to the Seychelles Attorney General’s office in drafting the bill.

Rebecca Julienne, Chair of the organisation LGBTI Sey, also applauded the passage of the legislation: “Eight years after decriminalising consensual same-sex sexual intimacy, this is a welcome step for our community in combating the harms caused by homophobia and other forms of hate, and will encourage victims to report incidents.”

Seychelles follows in the footsteps of South Africa, which saw its own hate crimes and hate speech bill signed into law in May this year.