Jail terms of between 10 and 15 years are provided for in a new law passed by Iraq’s parliament that criminalises same-sex relationships.
According to the BBC, those who promote homosexuality or prostitution, doctors who perform gender reassignment surgery, men who ‘intentionally’ act like women and those who engage in ‘wife swapping’ will also face prison terms under the new legislation.
Transgender people could also be sent to prison for between one and three years under the new law.
While supporters of the changes say they will help to uphold religious values in the country, rights groups say they are a further black mark on Iraq’s record of violations against LGBT people.
The BBC reports that LGBT people have long been targeted by the authorities in Iraq, with other morality laws previously being used to punish them.
Human Rights Watch and other human rights organisations have also detailed several cases of abduction, torture, rape and murder.