Iraq criminalizes same sex relationships

Baghdad: The Iraqi parliament has passed a bill criminalising same-sex relationships inviting jail terms of upto 15 years, news reports said amid slogans raised by supporters of the new law proclaiming to help uphold religious values in the country.

Those who promote homosexuality or prostitution, doctors who perform gender reassignment surgery, men who “intentionally” act like women and those who engage in “wife swapping” will also face prison terms under the new legislation, a BBC report said.

Transgender people could also be sent to prison for one to three years under the new law. Major Iraqi political parties have in recent years stepped up criticism of LGBT rights, with rainbow flags being burned at protests.

Rights groups say the new law is yet another black mark on Iraq’s record of violations against LGBT people. The LGBT people have long been targeted by the authorities in Iraq, with other morality laws previously being used to punish them.

A previous draft of the bill – an amendment to an anti-prostitution law that was passed in the late 1980s – had proposed capital punishment for same-sex relationships. However, this was amended after facing opposition from the US and other Western countries.

MP Amir al-Maamouri told Shafaq News on Saturday that the new law was “a significant step in combating sexual deviancy given the infiltration of unique cases contradicting Islamic and societal values”.

Passing the bill had been postponed until after Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani’s visit to the US earlier this month.

The US State Department said in a statement that the passing of the law reforms was a threat to human rights and freedoms. “The legislation also weakens Iraq’s ability to diversify its economy and attract foreign investment,” it added.

UK Secretary of State Lord David Cameron described the amendments as “dangerous and worrying”, the report said.