Iraqi Parliament Enacts Harsh Penalties for Same-Sex Relationships
Iraq’s parliament on Saturday enacted a stringent law that imposes severe penalties for same-sex relationships, with penalties of up to 15 years in prison in a measure it claims upholds the country’s religious values. The legislation was primarily supported by conservative Shi’ite Muslim parties, which hold significant sway in Iraq’s predominantly Muslim legislature.
The newly approved Law on Combating Prostitution and Homosexuality targets not only same-sex relations but also penalizes the promotion of homosexuality or prostitution with a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 15 years imprisonment. Additionally, the law stipulates a prison term of one to three years for people who alter their “biological gender” or men who dress in a manner deemed effeminate.
Originally, the legislation included a provision for the death penalty for same-sex acts, but this was removed following intense pressure from the United States and European countries. Prior to this law, while not explicitly illegal, gay sex was often prosecuted under vague morality laws, and the LGBT community faced violence from both armed groups and individuals.
Same-sex sexual acts are illegal throughout the Middle East and North Africa region except in Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, and Jordan, and are punishable by death in nine MENA region countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Mauritania, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
Human rights organizations have vocally criticized the new legislation. Rasha Younes, the deputy director of the LGBT rights program at Human Rights Watch, stated, “The Iraqi parliament’s passage of the anti-LGBT law rubber-stamps Iraq’s appalling record of rights violations against LGBT people and is a serious blow to fundamental human rights.”
The enactment of this law coincides with a rise in anti-LGBT sentiment in Iraq, marked by incidents such as the burning of rainbow flags during protests by conservative groups last year.
