Amendments to anti-prostitution law also enable courts to sentence trans people to three years in prison

Iraq’s parliament has passed a bill making same-sex relations punishable by up to 15 years in prison, in a move condemned as an “attack on human rights”.

Transgender people will also be sentenced to three years in jail under the amendments to a 1988 anti-prostitution law, which were adopted during a session attended by 170 out of 329 lawmakers on Saturday.

A previous draft had proposed capital punishment for same-sex relations, in what campaigners had called a “dangerous” escalation. The new amendments enable courts to sentence people to between 10 and 15 years in prison, according to the document seen by AFP, in a country where gay and transgender people already face frequent attacks and discrimination.

They also set a minimum seven-year prison term for “promoting” same-sex relations and a sentence ranging from one to three years for men who “intentionally” act like women.

  • Sanctus@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    Its weird republicans hate middle eastern people so much. These guys are enacting the laws they wish they had.

  • ohwhatfollyisman@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    they’re proposing to lock same-sex partners together for 15 years? why not just let them live together by themselves – they save 15 years’ worth of taxpayer money per person!

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldM
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        6 months ago

        The sad thing is a significant chunk of Lemmy seems to have either forgotten America’s role in shaping Iraq into the way it is today or aren’t aware of it at all. Satayana would be shaking his head.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldM
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            6 months ago

            Iran didn’t “guide” them into creating a constitution that was deferential to Islam. In fact, the Ba’ath party, which was gotten rid of when Saddam was defeated, was secular. It was the U.S. that did that.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldM
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            6 months ago

            Do please tell me what I’m missing. Is the person I was replying to who I was essentially agreeing with also missing the same thing?

            • otp@sh.itjust.works
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              6 months ago

              Your original reply seemed like you were talking about the comment, not agreeing with it

                • otp@sh.itjust.works
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                  6 months ago

                  Yeah, and the other commenter got it, but the other other one thought that that other commenter thought you were serious. But the other other commenter was wrong; that other commenter knew you were joking. And so did I.

                  Man, this is getting confusing. But everyone understood your comment, at least! Lol

      • saltesc@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Bombing isn’t really in the Iraq playbook yet.

        Maybe it can be added after the latest section on insurrection sand we’ll see about next time.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldB
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    6 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    Iraq’s parliament has passed a bill making same-sex relations punishable by up to 15 years in prison, in a move condemned as an “attack on human rights”.

    They also set a minimum seven-year prison term for “promoting” same-sex relations and a sentence ranging from one to three years for men who “intentionally” act like women.

    The amended law makes “biological sex change based on personal desire and inclination” a crime and punishes trans people and doctors who perform gender reassignment surgery with up to three years in prison.

    Lawmaker Raed al-Maliki, who advanced the amendments, told AFP that “the law serves as a preventive measure to protect society from such acts”.

    He said passing the new amendment was postponed until after Iraqi prime minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani’s visit to the United States earlier this month.

    LGBTQ+ Iraqis have been forced into the shadows, often targeted with “kidnappings, rapes, torture and murders” that go unpunished, according to a 2022 report by Human Rights Watch and the IraQueer non-governmental organisation.


    The original article contains 485 words, the summary contains 168 words. Saved 65%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

    • Son_of_dad@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Yeah, I mean before America showed up, they were all for same sex marriages over there. Saddam loved the LGBT community! /S