The Iraqi Parliament approved amendments to the anti-prostitution law on Saturday, which now includes criminalizing homosexual relations and transgender expressions. These actions will carry penalties of up to 15 years in prison. The amendments were put in place “to preserve moral decency in Iraqi society from the calls for homosexuality that have invaded the world,” according to a statement from the Legislature.
Acting president of the lower house, Mohsen al Mandalawi, stated that the approval of the amendments is “a necessary step to protect the structure of values of society and of children, who are called to moral depravity and homosexuality.” The amendments to the law against prostitution, in force since 1988, were approved in a session attended by 170 of the 329 deputies that make up the Iraqi Chamber.
From now on, Iraqi law penalizes any consensual homosexual relationship with between 10 and 15 years in prison. Promoting relationships between people of the same sex also carries a penalty of between one and three years in prison and a fine of 10 million Iraqi dinars (about $7,600). The law also provides punishments for anyone who undergoes a “sex reassignment” operation, as well as the doctor who performs it, with a sentence of one to three years in prison. Additionally, any man who displays “effeminate behavior” will also be penalized.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) expressed concern over the approval of the anti-LGBT law, citing it as a reinforcement of the violations against LGBT people in Iraq. The bill for this amendment was presented in August 2023 by independent MP Raad al Maliki, initially stipulating more severe punishments for homosexual relations. Although consensual same-sex sexual relations were not explicitly criminalized in Iraq, authorities have historically used vague “morality” laws to persecute members of the group.