The Iraqi parliament on Saturday approved the inclusion of changes in the anti-prostitution law criminalization of homosexual relationships and transgender expressions, which now carry penalties of up to fifteen years in prison.
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The legislature noted that the amendments were passed ‘to preserve moral decency in the world’ Iraqi society of the outcry for homosexuality that has swept the world” and of the “lack of legislation in Iraq that provides a deterrent to homosexual acts and those who promote them,” a statement said.
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The interim chairman of the Low camera, Mohsen al Mandalawi said the adoption of the amendments is “a necessary step to protect the value structure of society and of children, who are called to moral depravity and homosexuality,” according to another statement.
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The changes to the law against prostitution, in force since 1988, were approved at a session attended by 170 of the 329 deputies representing form the Iraqi Chamber.
From now on, Iraqi law punishes anyone with a prison sentence of between 10 and 15 years. consensual homosexual relationshipwhile promoting same-sex relationships also carries a prison sentence of one to three years and a fine of €5. 10 million Iraqi dinars (about $7,600).
Anyone undergoing surgery sex changeas well as the doctor who practices it, risk a prison sentence of one to three years.
The Iraqi parliament’s passage of the anti-LGBT law underlines Iraq’s abhorrent record of rights abuses against LGBT people, further offending Iraq’s LGBT people who already face cyclical violence and threats for their lives by armed groups.https://t. co/EjU6zPkddl
— Rasha Younes (@Rasha__Younes) April 27, 2024
The law also provides penalties for any man who commits a effeminate behavior.
“The Iraqi parliament’s passage of the anti-LGBT law reinforces the appalling record of rights violations against LGBT people in Iraq,” Rasha Younes, acting co-director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), said on her X account.
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The human rights defender denounced that this standard is “an insult to Iraq’s LGBT people, who already face cyclical violence and threats to their lives from armed groups,” which are mainly of a religious nature.
The bill for this amendment was introduced in August 2023 by independent MP Raad al Maliki, and initially stipulated that homosexual relations would be punishable by death or life imprisonment, while the ‘promotion of homosexuality’ would mean a minimum prison sentence of seven years. and a fine.
Although consensual same-sex sexual relations were not explicitly criminalized in Iraq, authorities have used vague “morality laws” to prosecute members of the group.
Source: El heraldo
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
