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Iraqi Lawmakers Criminalize Same-Sex Relationships, Sentences To Range Between 10 To 15 Years In Prison

Reuters reports: Iraq’s parliament passed a law criminalising same-sex relationships with a maximum 15-year prison sentence on Saturday, in a move it said aimed to uphold religious values but was condemned by rights advocates as the latest attack on the LGBT community in Iraq. The law aims to “protect Iraqi society from moral depravity and … The post Iraqi Lawmakers Criminalize Same-Sex Relationships, Sentences To Range Between 10 To 15 Years In Prison appeared first on Joe.My.God..

Mark

Apr 29, 2024 - 20:00

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Iraqi Lawmakers Criminalize Same-Sex Relationships, Sentences To Range Between 10 To 15 Years In Prison

Reuters reports:

Iraq’s parliament passed a law criminalising same-sex relationships with a maximum 15-year prison sentence on Saturday, in a move it said aimed to uphold religious values but was condemned by rights advocates as the latest attack on the LGBT community in Iraq. The law aims to “protect Iraqi society from moral depravity and the calls for homosexuality that have overtaken the world,” according to a copy of the law seen by Reuters.
The Law on Combating Prostitution and Homosexuality bans same-sex relations with at least 10 years and a maximum of 15 years in prison, and mandates at least seven years in prison for anybody who promotes homosexuality or prostitution. It also imposes between one and three years in prison for anyone who changes their “biological gender” or willfully dresses in an effeminate manner.

Read the full article. The bill initially included the death sentence, but it was removed after opposition from the US and from European countries. Until yesterday, Iraq had never specifically criminalized homosexuality but it has long persecuted LGBTQ people under “morality” laws.

Photo: Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid.