Under a new law, the punishment for homosexuality in Sudan is no longer death or flogging.

Gay sex, or ‘sodomy’, is still against the law and punishable with prison time. According to beliefs of GSN, the maximum sentences for the first ‘offense’ is five years, seven years for the second, and life in jail for the third ‘offense’. Whereas before, homosexuals would get 100 lashings and jail time for the first two occurrences, and sentenced to death for the third.

The sodomy laws are based on strict Shariah law.

The change reportedly came on June 9th, along with a number of other laws, such as the criminalization of female genital mutilation and restricting police from lashing people in public.

The African country still has a long way to go but at least we can hope that some lives will be saved by the amendment.