Gays in Iraq Can Now Be Jailed for 15 Years
metroweekly.comApril 27, 2024The U.S. State Department criticized the law, which it said in a statement “threatens constitutionally protected human rights and fundamental freedoms.”It also expressed concerns that the law would be abused or manipulated to “hamper free speech and expression and inhibit the operations of [non-governmental organizations] across Iraq.”“The legislation also weakens Iraq’s ability to diversify its economy and attract foreign investment,” the statement continued. “International business coalitions have already indicated that such discrimination in Iraq will harm business and economic growth in the country.”On April 28, a group of Iraqi lawmakers launched a campaign to expel U.S.
Ambassador Alina Romanowski, accusing her of interfering in the country’s internal affairs after she issued a statement condemning the legislation.Rasha Younes, a senior researcher with the LGBT Rights Program at Human Rights Watch, told the AP that the law’s passage “rubber-stamps Iraq’s appalling record of rights violations against LGBT people and is a serious blow to fundamental human rights.”.
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