Iraq passes law criminalizing homosexuality

The Iraqi parliament on Saturday passed a law criminalizing homosexuality. International news agencies write this. Same-sex relationships are now punishable by a prison sentence of up to fifteen years. Until this weekend, homosexuality was not officially banned, but it was already taboo in the conservative country. For example, the media were not allowed to use the word homosexuality, nor, for example, the term transgender.

The law mainly received support from the conservative Shia parties, which form the largest coalition in parliament. They were in favor of criminalizing homosexuality to “protect the population against moral depravity.” Initially, they even wanted to punish same-sex relationships with the death penalty, but this proposal was watered down under pressure from the United States and several European countries, among others. Now follows a sentence of ten to fifteen years for homosexuality. Anyone who encourages prostitution or homosexuality risks a prison sentence of seven years. Parliament also announced penalties for transgender people.

Several Western countries have expressed concern about the law. https://twitter.com/DutchMFA/status/1784324697598931185 the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote that “criminalizing homosexuality is directly contrary to international agreements to which Iraq has agreed.” The US State Department wrote in a statement that the law “poses a threat to the most vulnerable groups in Iraqi society. It can be used to hinder freedom of expression and hinder the activities of NGOs throughout Iraq.”

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