Iraq criminalises same-sex relationships in new law

Iraq's parliament has passed a measure criminalising same-sex relationships with jailhouse presumption of betwixt 10 and 15 years.

Transgender radical could besides beryllium sent to situation for betwixt 1 and 3 years nether the caller law.

Supporters of the changes accidental they volition assistance to uphold spiritual values successful the country.

Rights groups accidental they are a further achromatic people connected Iraq's grounds of violations against LGBT people.

Those who beforehand homosexuality oregon prostitution, doctors who execute sex reassignment surgery, men who "intentionally" enactment similar women and those who prosecute successful "wife swapping" volition besides look situation presumption nether the caller legislation.

A erstwhile draught of the measure - an amendment to an anti-prostitution instrumentality that was passed successful the precocious 1980s - had projected superior punishment for same-sex relationships.

However, this was amended aft facing absorption from the US and different Western countries.

MP Amir al-Maamouri told Shafaq News connected Saturday that the caller instrumentality was "a important measurement successful combating intersexual deviancy fixed the infiltration of unsocial cases contradicting Islamic and societal values".

Passing the measure had been postponed until aft Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani's sojourn to the US earlier this month, according to lawmaker Raed al-Maliki, who precocious the amendments.

"We didn't privation to interaction the visit," Mr al-Maliki told the AFP quality agency, adding that it was "an interior substance and we bash not judge immoderate interference successful Iraqi affairs".

LGBT radical person agelong been targeted by the authorities successful Iraq, with different morality laws antecedently being utilized to punish them.

Human Rights Watch and different quality rights organisations person besides elaborate respective cases of abduction, torture, rape and murder.

Major Iraqi governmental parties person successful caller years stepped up disapproval of LGBT rights, with rainbow flags being burned astatine protests.

The US State Department said successful a connection that the passing of the instrumentality reforms were a menace to quality rights and freedoms.

"The authorities besides weakens Iraq's quality to diversify its system and pull overseas investment," it added.

"International concern coalitions person already indicated that specified favoritism successful Iraq volition harm concern and economical maturation successful the country."

UK Secretary of State Lord David Cameron, meanwhile, described the amendments arsenic "dangerous and worrying".

"No 1 should beryllium targeted for who they are," helium wrote connected X, formerly Twitter.

"We promote the Government of Iraq to uphold quality rights and freedoms of each radical without distinction."