Iraq’s parliament passes legislation criminalizing same-sex relationships with maximum 15 years in jail

Iraq’s parliament approved a law criminalizing same-sex relationships with a maximum 15-year prison sentence on Saturday, Reuters reported.

The law aims to “protect Iraqi society from moral depravity and the calls for homosexuality that have overtaken the world,” the news agency added.

The Law on Combating Prostitution and Homosexuality bans same-sex relations with at least 10 years and a maximum of 15 years in prison, and mandates at least seven years in prison for anybody who promotes homosexuality or prostitution.

It also imposes between one and three years in prison for anyone who changes their “biological gender” or wilfully dresses in an effeminate manner.

The legislation is in sync with the Divine Sharia of Islam, which upholds moral and societal values to protect the institutions of marriage and family as well as the integrity of humanity.