Iraq outlaws transgender people and same-sex relationships

Rights organizations denounced the act as a "attack on human rights" when the Iraqi parliament passed a bill making same-sex relationships illegal. Offenders could face sentences of up to 15 years in prison.

Changes were made to a 1988 anti-prostitution law that stipulated a three-year prison sentence for transgender individuals in a session that was attended by 170 out of 329 lawmakers.

In a nation where gay and transgender people already frequently face discrimination and attacks, the new amendments allow judges to sentence people having same-sex relationships to between 10 and 15 years in prison, according to a document seen by AFP.

In addition, they established a sentence of one to three years for men who "intentionally" behave like women and a minimum of seven years in prison for "promoting" same-sex relations.

The new law criminalizes "biological sex change based on personal desire and inclination" and imposes a maximum three-year prison sentence on transgender patients and medical professionals who perform gender-affirming surgery.

News Source: https://news.abs-cbn.com/world/2024/4/29/iraq-criminalizes-same-sex-acts-transgenders-715