The parliament of Iraq has passed a law that criminalizes same-sex with a 15-year prison sentence with the aim of upholding religious values, the move was condemned by rights advocates as the latest attack on the LGBTQ community in Iraq. A copy of the law seen by Reuters news agency shows that the adopted law aims to “protect Iraqi society from moral depravity and the calls for homosexuality that have overtaken the world,”

The law was mainly backed by Shia Muslim parties (they form the largest coalition in Iraq’s parliament). The law on homosexuality mandates at least 7 years in prison for people who promote both prostitution and homosexuality. It also bans same-sex relations with 10-15 years imprisonment.

“Biological sex change on personal desire and inclination” is termed as a crime with the transgender people and doctors who perform gender-affirming surgery will be punished with up to three years in prison. The bill initially included the death penalty for same-sex acts and was later amended prior to being passed following strong opposition by the  US and European Nations.

Formerly, Iraq didn’t criminalise gay sex but loosely defined morality clauses in its penal code were used to target the LGBTQ community and several people and members of the community have targeted members of the community. Speaking to Reuters, the deputy director of the LGBTQ rights programme at Human Rights Watch, Rasha Younes, shared, “The Iraqi parliament’s passage of the anti-LGBT law rubber-stamps Iraq’s appalling record of rights violations against LGBTQ people and is a serious blow to fundamental human rights,”