伊拉克通過法律對LGBTQ+群體判處重刑，引發國際批評

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).

美國國務院發言人馬修·米勒對此表示深切的擔憂，認為這項法律“威脅到伊拉克社會中最危險的人”，並且“可能被用來阻礙言論和表達自由”。他還警告說，這項立法可能會趕走外國投資，並指出“國際商業聯盟已經表示，伊拉克的這種歧視將損害該國的商業和經濟成長”。

英國外交大臣戴維·卡梅倫也對該法律表示了嚴重的關切，稱其為“危險且令人擔憂”。這項法律的通過，無疑加深了國際社會對伊拉克尊重人權狀況的擔憂。

值得注意的是，儘管同性戀在伊拉克這個保守的社會中是禁忌，且政治領袖定期發起反LGBTQ+運動，但伊拉克之前並沒有明確將同性戀定為犯罪的法律。這次作為現行反賣淫法的修正案，該法律在沒有引起太多注意的情況下獲得通過，顯示了伊拉克政府在這一問題上的立場轉變。

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.