A Senegalese law encourages violence against homosexuals, according to a report released this week by Human Rights Watch, an international advocacy organization.

The group produced a 92-page report "Fear for Life: Violence against Gay Men and Men Perceived as Gay in Senegal" that calls to repeal the law that states "unnatural" sexual acts can be punished with five years in prison and a fine.

"Senegal's law criminalizing consensual sexual conduct is deeply destructive for many communities, particularly gay men," said Dipika Nath, researcher in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights program at Human Rights Watch. "People live in constant fear of losing their jobs, their families, their livelihoods, their freedom, and their very lives because they are seen as different."

The report includes dozens of testimonies from Senegalese people that have experienced threats or violence from police officers and members of the community.