Iraq passes law imposing heavy sentences on LGBTQ+ community, sparking international criticism

A new law recently passed by the Iraqi parliament has attracted widespread international attention and criticism. The law imposes severe penalties on homosexual and transgender individuals, including 10 to 15 years in prison for same-sex relationships, and one to three years for undergoing or undergoing sex reassignment surgery and "intentional manifestations of femininity". The law also bans any organization that promotes "sexual perversion" with a minimum of seven years in prison and a fine of no less than 10 million dinars (about £6,000).

U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller expressed deep concern that the law "threatens the most dangerous people in Iraqi society" and "could be used to impede freedom of speech and expression". He also warned that the legislation could drive away foreign investment, noting that "international business coalitions have already indicated that this kind of discrimination in Iraq will jeopardize the country's business and economic growth."

The British Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, has also expressed grave concern about the law, calling it "dangerous and worrying". The passage of this law has undoubtedly deepened the international community's concern about respect for human rights in Iraq.

It is worth noting that despite the fact that homosexuality is taboo in Iraq's conservative society and political leaders regularly launch anti-LGBTQ+ campaigns, Iraq has not previously had a law explicitly criminalizing homosexuality. This time, as an amendment to the existing anti-prostitution law, the law was passed without much fanfare, indicating a shift in the Iraqi government's stance on the issue.

Iraqi officials have defended the law, saying it upholds social values and describing criticism of it as a Western intervention. Mohsen Mandarawi, the acting speaker of the Iraqi parliament, said the vote was "a necessary step to protect the fabric of social values" and "to protect our children from moral corruption and homosexual calls".

However, Rasha Younis, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch's LGBT Rights Program, strongly criticized the passage of the law, arguing that it "obscures Iraq's appalling record of violations of the rights of LGBT people, and represents a serious attack on basic human rights, including the right to freedom of expression". She also referred to a report released by the organization in 2022 in which it accused Iraqi armed groups of kidnapping, raping, torturing and killing LGBT people with impunity, and the Iraqi government's failure to hold the perpetrators accountable.

The passage of this new law not only poses a direct threat to the LGBTQ+ community in Iraq, but also raises additional questions about the international community's concerns about the human rights situation in Iraq. Globally, the protection of human rights and freedoms remains an ongoing challenge that requires the concerted efforts and attention of the international community.