Prostitution Prostitution laws in the ComorosKomori / Comores / جزر القمر
In the Comoros, sex outside marriage is an offence: the Penal Code of 2020 (Law No. 20-038/AU, promulgated in February 2021) states that "la fornication ou Zina est interdite" and punishes it with six months to two years and a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 Comorian francs (arts. 306–307). Procuring, including helping another's prostitution or soliciting, sharing its proceeds or living with a sex worker, carries six months to three years (art. 310). Running or financing a prostitution establishment, or tolerating prostitution in a hotel, bar or similar place, carries the same penalties (art. 313). Publicly drawing attention to an occasion for debauchery or publishing an announcement of that kind is an offence (art. 233). In February 2026 ten people were tried in Moroni on charges including fornication, prostitution and procuring.
Legal model
Selling and buying prohibited. Selling sex is an offence (criminal or administrative), whether or not buying is.
The 2020 Penal Code has no offence of selling sex as such, but it prohibits fornication (zina), meaning sex outside marriage, with six months to two years' imprisonment and/or a fine (arts. 306–307), which covers both seller and client. Adultery is a separate offence (art. 305). Procuring and prostitution establishments are criminalised in terms taken from the French model (arts. 310–313).[1]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | There is no offence of selling sex as such, but fornication (zina), sexual intercourse outside marriage, is prohibited and punishable by six months to two years and/or a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 Comorian francs (arts. 306–307). Married persons are liable for adultery: three months to two years and/or a fine (art. 305).[1][2] |
| Buying sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | No client-specific offence exists, but the fornication provisions apply to both participants: those guilty of fornication are punished by six months to two years and/or a fine (art. 307). An adulterer's partner is punished like the adulterer (art. 305).[1] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | Anyone who, directly or through another, holds, manages, operates, directs, finances or helps finance a prostitution establishment, or who runs a hotel, boarding house, bar, restaurant, club, dance hall or other place open to the public and habitually tolerates prostitution or the seeking of clients there, is punished with the penalties of art. 310; they double for a repeat within ten years (art. 313).[1] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | A procurer is anyone who knowingly helps or protects another's prostitution or soliciting, shares in its proceeds, knowingly lives with a person habitually engaged in prostitution, recruits or keeps an adult for prostitution even with consent, or acts as an intermediary: six months to three years and 50,000 to 500,000 Comorian francs (art. 310). Aggravated cases carry two to ten years and up to 1,000,000 francs (art. 311).[1] |
| Advertising sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | Anyone who publicly draws attention to an occasion for debauchery, or publishes an announcement or correspondence of that kind in whatever terms, is punishable by one to two years and a fine of 150,000 to 550,000 Comorian francs (art. 233, by reference to art. 232). Helping or assisting another's prostitution or soliciting is also procuring (art. 310(a)).[1] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
There is no offence of selling sex as such, but fornication (zina), sexual intercourse outside marriage, is prohibited and punishable by six months to two years and/or a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 Comorian francs (arts. 306–307). Married persons are liable for adultery: three months to two years and/or a fine (art. 305).[1][2]
Confidence: medium. Text read in a droit-afrique.com copy of the code (archived 2023), not the official gazette. In the February 2026 Moroni case, defence counsel argued that the code "ne contient aucun article parlant de la prostitution"; the verdict was not found.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
No client-specific offence exists, but the fornication provisions apply to both participants: those guilty of fornication are punished by six months to two years and/or a fine (art. 307). An adulterer's partner is punished like the adulterer (art. 305).[1]
Confidence: medium. How often the fornication offence is charged against clients was not found. Proof requires confession, flagrante delicto or four male witnesses (art. 306).
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
Anyone who, directly or through another, holds, manages, operates, directs, finances or helps finance a prostitution establishment, or who runs a hotel, boarding house, bar, restaurant, club, dance hall or other place open to the public and habitually tolerates prostitution or the seeking of clients there, is punished with the penalties of art. 310; they double for a repeat within ten years (art. 313).[1]
Confidence: medium. Unofficial copy of the code.
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
A procurer is anyone who knowingly helps or protects another's prostitution or soliciting, shares in its proceeds, knowingly lives with a person habitually engaged in prostitution, recruits or keeps an adult for prostitution even with consent, or acts as an intermediary: six months to three years and 50,000 to 500,000 Comorian francs (art. 310). Aggravated cases carry two to ten years and up to 1,000,000 francs (art. 311).[1]
Confidence: medium. Translated from the French; unofficial copy of the code.
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
Anyone who publicly draws attention to an occasion for debauchery, or publishes an announcement or correspondence of that kind in whatever terms, is punishable by one to two years and a fine of 150,000 to 550,000 Comorian francs (art. 233, by reference to art. 232). Helping or assisting another's prostitution or soliciting is also procuring (art. 310(a)).[1]
Confidence: medium. Art. 233 is a general public-morals offence rather than a provision written for online ads; no case law on websites was found. The cybercrime chapter (art. 449 ff.) was not reviewed.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Code pénal 2020 (Loi n° 20-038/AU du 29 décembre 2020) Law No. 20-038/AU of 29 December 2020 on the Penal Code arts. 232–233 · arts. 305–307 · arts. 310–313 | Prohibits fornication and adultery and criminalises procuring, prostitution establishments and public announcements of debauchery.[1] | 16 February 2021 |
Timeline
- 29 December 2020The Assembly of the Union adopts Law No. 20-038/AU on a new Penal Code, including an explicit prohibition of fornication (zina).[1]
- 16 February 2021The new Penal Code is promulgated by Decree No. 21-018/PR.[1]
- 10 February 2026Seven women of Malagasy origin and three men appear before the Moroni criminal court charged with fornication, prostitution, procuring and public-order offences; the defence argues the code has no prostitution offence.[2]
Sources
- Code pénal 2020 (Loi n° 20-038/AU du 29 décembre 2020) (Penal Code 2020 (Law No. 20-038/AU of 29 December 2020)). droit-afrique.com (archived copy, Internet Archive), 29 December 2020. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Justice : 10 individus poursuivis pour proxénétisme et prostitution (Justice: 10 individuals prosecuted for procuring and prostitution). La Gazette des Comores, 10 February 2026. news · accessed 30 October 2026