Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 30th April. UN human rights office on Monday has urged Iraq to discard a new law that criminalize consensual same-sex relations and other forms of private consensual behavior with heavy jail sentences.
OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said “The law runs contrary to several human rights treaties and conventions ratified by Iraq, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and should be shelved”.
She added that “everyone, without distinction, is entitled to enjoy all human rights, including the right to privacy, the right to be treated as equal before the law and the right to protection from discrimination on various grounds that include sexual orientation and gender identity.”
The agency noted that under the new law, those found guilty of “establishing a homosexual relationship” will face 10 to 15 years in jail, while anyone who “promotes homosexuality” will be imprisoned for at least seven years and fined at least 10 million Iraqi dinars (approximately $7,600).
It stressed that anyone accessing or performing gender-affirming medical treatments will face up to three years behind bars, and people who dress in clothing associated with the opposite gender will receive jail terms of up to three years or a fine of at least 5 million Iraqi dinars.
