New law in Iraq, homosexuality punishable by a maximum of 15 years in prison
Homosexuality is considered a legal offense in more than 60 countries around the world. And in more than 130 countries same-sex relationships are legal
Homosexuality is considered a legal offense in more than 60 countries around the world. And more than 130 countries have legalized same-sex sex.
A new law passed by Iraq's parliament criminalizes same-sex sex. A maximum 15 years imprisonment has been provided in this law.
It is said that the new law has been made to keep religious values intact in Iraqi society. However, rights activists have opposed it. According to them, this is the latest example of an attack on the LGBTQ community in Iraq.
A copy of the law, which was passed on Saturday, was obtained by Reuters. It is said that the purpose of passing this law is to protect the Iraqi society from moral degradation and calls for global homosexuality.
The new law was passed under the auspices of conservative Shiite Muslim parties as part of the largest coalition in Iraq's parliament.
According to the law, sex and same-sex relationships will be considered crimes. If involved in such activities, the provision of imprisonment of 10 years to a maximum of 15 years has been kept. Even promoting sex and homosexuality carries a minimum sentence of seven years in prison.
The new draft law made provision for the death penalty as the maximum penalty for homosexuality. However, the United States and the European Union (EU) are strongly opposed. Later, the death penalty was changed to a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment.
In this regard, Rasha Younes, deputy director of LGBTQ rights program at Human Rights Watch, told Reuters that the new law is a precedent for violating the rights of the LGBTQ community in Iraq and a serious attack on basic human rights.
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