Baghdad: Human rights groups and diplomats criticised a law that was quietly passed by th𒆙e Iraqi parliament over the wওeekend that would impose heavy prison sentences on gay and transgender people.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement that the law passed Saturday “threatens those most at risk in Iraqi society” and “can be used to hamper ﷽free-speech and expression.” He warned that the legislation could drive away foreign investment.
“International business coalitions have already indicated that such discrimination in Iraq will harm business and economic growth in theꦓ country,” the statement said.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron called𝓡 the law “dangerous and worrying.”
Although homosexuality is taboo in the largely conservative Iraqi society, and political leaders have periodically launched anti-LGBTQ+ campaigns, Iraq did not previously have a law that explicitly cr🦂iminalis𝕴ed it.
The law passed Saturda🀅y with little notice as an amendme꧋nt to the country's existing anti-prostitution law.
It imposes a sentence of 10 to 15 years for same-se൲x relations and a prison term of on🌱e to three years for people who undergo or perform gender-transition surgeries and for “intentional practice of effeminacy.”
It also bans any organisation that promotes “sexual deviancy,” imposing a sentence ofౠ at least seven years and a fine of no 💯less than 10 million dinars (about USD 7,600).
A previous draft version of the anti-prostitution law, which was ultimately not passed, w🍷ould have allowed the death sentence to be imposed for same-sex relations.
Iraqi officials have defended the🏅 law as upholding societal va🔯lues and portrayed criticisms of it as Western interference.
The acting Iraqi parliamentary ꦰspeaker, Mohsen Al-Mandalawi, said in a statement that the vote was “a necessary step to protect the value structure of society” and tꩵo “protect our children from calls for moral depravity and homosexuality.”
Rasha Younes, a senior researcher with the LGBT Rights Programme at Human Rights Watch, said the law's passage “rubber-stamps Iraq's appalling record of rights violations against LGBT people and is a serious blow to fundamental human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and associat🐬ion, privacy, equality, and nondiscrimination.”
A report released by the organisation in 2022 accused armeꩲd groups in Iraq of abducting, raping, torturing, and killin🙈g lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people with impunity and the Iraqi government of failing to hold perpetrators accountable.
