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Iraq criminalises homosexual relations

15 years imprisonment provisioned in the new law

Baghdad (Iraq) – Iraq’s parliament passed a bill on 27th April criminalising same-sex relationships. From now on, those who have homosexual relationships in Iraq will be sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison. Transgenders can be imprisoned for up to 3 years. Some say that this new law will protect the religious sentiments in the country. Previously, Iraq did not have a separate law for same-sex relationships.

In 1980, Iraq’s law regarding prostitution was amended to include the death penalty for same-sex relationships. This amendment was opposed by many Western countries including the United States. Therefore, that law has been amended again and a separate law has been made for same-sex relations.

Other provisions in the law

1. People who promote homosexuality or prostitution and doctors who perform sex change surgeries will now be jailed in Iraq.

2. Men indulging wife swapping will also face imprisonment.

3. There is a provision of 7 years imprisonment for promoting same-sex relations.

The law is against human rights : US

This new law has been opposed by the United States and the European Union. The US State Department has said that this law is dangerous for human rights. This will also affect Iraq’s economy and foreign investment. Britain has also opposed it.

Legal status of homosexuality in countries around the world

According to a survey by New York’s Pew Research Centre, the highest rate of acceptance of homosexuality is in Canada with 85%, while 72% of Americans accept homosexuality. At present, same-sex marriage is legalised in the Constitutions of 31 countries in the world, including France, Germany, Belgium, and the United States. Homosexuality was a crime in India until 2018, but the Supreme Court held that the provisions of Article 377 of the Constitution were wrong and decided to decriminalise homosexuality. However, same-sex marriage is still a crime in India and the Supreme Court has directed the Union Government in 2023 to enact a law on it. Only 38% of people in India support same-sex marriage. On the other hand, in 13 countries of the world, including Yemen, Iran, Brunei, Nigeria, Qatar, same-sex couples are given the death penalty.

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