On Saturday, April 27, the Iraqi parliament passed a harmful law that criminalizes same-sex unions and charges them with 10 to 15 years in prison. For anyone who promotes homosexuality, including medical personnel, it foresees a minimum of 7 years in prison. The law also provides for a 3-year prison sentence for anyone who changes their biological sex or deliberately dresses too feminine.
At Ljubljana Pride Association, we strongly condemn the Iraqi parliament’s move, which violates human rights and codifies violence against LGBTIQ+ people.
The LGBTIQ+ community in Iraq is often the target of violence and murder, and this law puts the already most vulnerable people at further risk. This is not only a domestic political issue, as it has a strong impact on human rights violations and will consequently drive LGBTIQ+ people in Iraq to flee if they want to survive. We call on the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, led by Minister Tanja Fajon, to take appropriate action and always condemn such actions.
Additionally, we urge the Ministry of Internal Affairs to take the new facts into consideration when granting international protection to all LGBTIQ+ persons from Iraq, who will seek safety in Slovenia.
This Iraqi law is another in a series of so-called anti-LGBT propaganda legislation, which in countries such as Russia and now Iraq, strives for the complete criminalization of LGBTIQ+ people and all those who work to protect LGBTIQ+ rights.