New Iraq Legislation Mandates Up To 15 Years In Prison For Same Sex Couples

Iraq recently enacted a new law that imposes penalties for same-sex relations, drawing condemnation from human rights advocates who view it as a regressive step in the country's treatment of its LGBTQ community.

During a meeting on Saturday, the Iraqi parliament approved a draft that modified a 1988 anti-prostitution statute.

This amendment broadens the list of crimes that might result in punishment to include behaviors that are considered to "promote homosexuality," which carries a seven-year maximum term, as well as "biological sex changes based on personal desires and inclination." This law imposes fines of up to three years in jail on anyone who identify as transgender and on medical personnel who undertake gender reassignment surgery. Medical procedures ordered by a court to treat birth abnormalities are an exception, though, CNN reported.

An independent Iraqi legislator named Raad al-Maliki first proposed the bill in August 2023, calling for harsher punishments for same-sex relationships, such as life in jail and the death penalty. In spite of this, a sizable majority of the 170 legislators in attendance favored the bill's passage with shorter penalties.

CNN reported the interim speaker of the parliament, Mohsen Al-Mandalawi, defended the legislation's passage by arguing that it was necessary to "protect the moral fabric" of Iraqi society. Declaring, "There is no place for homosexuality in Iraq, the land of prophets, pure imams, and righteous saints," he highlighted the country's rich cultural and religious legacy.

Samar, a member of the LGBTQ community in Baghdad, voiced her displeasure with the new rule, calling it unfair and a sign of a larger homophobic tendency in the nation. She described experiences of violence and prejudice that she and her friends had to deal with. One friend of hers had been poisoned by her own family when she came out as gay. Samar emphasized how the LGBTQ population in Iraq feels compelled to flee because of ongoing discrimination and persecution.


The parliamentary vote's timing, coming just after US President Joe Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met, alarmed several people, including Samar, who speculated that the two occurrences may be related, according to CNN.

Samar urged the world community to put diplomatic pressure on the Iraqi government to revoke the law, especially the US and other countries that value human rights. She called on foreign embassies to step in and stop what she considers to be a human rights violation and a possible source of more damage to LGBTQ people in Iraq.

The US Department of State's Matthew Miller voiced serious concerns about the new law's potential to restrict free expression, impede the work of non-governmental organizations, and detract from Iraq's appeal to international investors. He underlined to CNN that Iraq's security, stability, and development depend on maintaining human rights and promoting political and economic inclusion.

Human Rights Watch researcher Sarah Sanbar, who focuses on Iraq, called the law's passage "a horrific development and an attack on human rights." She emphasized that policies intended to help Iraqi citizens—such as draft laws addressing domestic violence and child protection—were given less priority than discriminatory measures.