of LGBTIQ peopleinIraq The perpetual struggles The Lives atrisk: Thailand CountryThailand Report

ilgaasia.org Lives at risk: The perpetual struggles of LGBTIQ people in

This publication is commissioned by ILGA Asia - the Asian Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, representing more than 170 LGBTI organizations in East, South, Southeast, and West Asia. The document has been produced in consultation with member organisations and key partners as suggested by member organisations in the country. Permission to quote or otherwise use the information has been provided by the informants.

The analysis in the report is intended to recommend ILGA Asia to produce a strategic plan for 2021-2025. Positions in the report lie with the participants of the consultations and interviews, and do not reflect the values and viewpoints of the collective network.

Suggested Citation: N.A. (2021). Lives at risk: The perpetual struggles of LGBTIQ people in Iraq. ILGA Asia. Table of contents

PAGE 01 PAGE 02 Acknowledgements Executive Summary

PAGE 04 PAGE 12 Background Challenges and Opportunities for 04 About Iraq Intervention 05 Overview of Situation in Iraq 12 Challenges

06 The State of LGBTIQ 14 Opportunities Rights in Iraq

08 Strategies Employed to Advance LGBTIQ Rights

11 Priorities – Lobbying and Advocacy

PAGE 16 Works Cited 01 Acknowledgements to the research anddocumentation andgenerously shared rights defenders, aid workers, andothers who contributed violations, eyewitnesses, interviewees as well ashuman ILGA Asia extends aspecial thanks to survivors of rights Estabillo. Officer Numan AfifiandCommunications InternMJ supervision of ILGA Asia Communications andCampaign created the layout anddesignof the report, under accuracy. Independent graphic designer Aaron Bonete findings anddouble-check initialinterpretations for survivorand testimonyILGAenable to Asia totriangulate with secondary transcriptions of audio files of eyewitness translators, unnamedhere for security reasons, assisted proofreading andeditingsupport.Several interpreters and Independent consultant Pak Yong Kang provided Wang andUN Advocacy Intern MeghnaSharma. Officer KhineSu Win,Senior Global Advocacy Officer Ripley Director Lieu Ann Vu, Research Officer Henry Koh, Program review andediting team includedILGA Asia Executive the leadconsultant, whose nameisundisclosed. The peer Asia’s member organizations inIraq, with the supportof report ismade with aseriesof consultations with ILGA from November 2020 to January 2021.Publication of this This report iscommissionedandconductedby ILGA Asia Acknowledgements from the publication where appropriate. members andinformants, their nameshave been omitted our work possible. To protect the safety andprivacy of thanks to the generous supportersof ILGA Asia who make activism andadvocacy, often at great personalrisk. Special in local,national, andinternational-level human rights civil society and the LGBTIQ community who are engaged ILGA Asia alsoextends solidarity andsupport to Iraq’s Many are unnamedhere. their invaluable time, energy, andinsights with ILGA Asia. Iraq Country Report

ilgaasia.org 02 Executive Summary Executive aiming to advance the movement.advance the aiming to resources suchasguides, videos, reports, andarticles Committee. These organizations produced publicly available such as the HumanRights Counciland the HumanRights with regular submissionof reports to different U.N. bodies are more active with international advocacy andlobbying education, andhumanrights training. Someorganizations safe houses,medicalservices,awareness raising, public organizations are operating underground to provide religious andconservative groups, andmost of the LGBTIQ organizations have been facing threats from teachings. as “attacking” the Iraqi society’s values andreligious perceptions towards LGBTIQ movement and farmed it for systematic killing.Politicians andleadershave negative affiliated armed groups. LGBTIQ Iraqis have been targeted life isconstantly underminedby the Iraqi authoritiesand freedom of expression, gender equality, and the right to visual media.InIraq, humanrights enjoyment including and literature review onpublishedreports, articles,and interviews with ten LGBTIQ activists andorganizations, the humanrights of queer Iraqis. The report isbasedon the needs,challenges,andopportunities for advancing rights situations of LGBTIQ personsinIraq andidentifies Iraq encompasses the most up-to-date account of human Lives at risk: The perpetual struggles of LGBTIQ peoplein Summary killing campaignsagainst LGBTIQ Iraqis andrecognition There isanurgent need to putanend to the systematic more queer-friendly languageandhosting LGBTIQ activists. involved with them. A number of mediapersonnel started coverage andmore community membersare starting to get of LGBTIQ organizations isincreased through media leading efforts of international organizations. The visibility demand for supportof the localcommunity, along with activists andorganizations isincreasing due to the strong Despite asuppressive environment, the number of LGBTIQ Iraq Country Report

ilgaasia.org 03 Executive Summary addition to safe healthservicesincludingSTI treatment. is oneof the priority areas of LGBTIQ organizations, in advocacy to end the systematic killingagainst LGBTIQ of the right to life by Iraqi government domestically. The persons inIraq. for LGBTIQ organizations to protect the rights of LGBTIQ of LGBTIQ peopleinmediaare the other key challenges of awareness aboutLGBTIQ peopleandnegative portrayal Iraqis are often not protected by law enforcement. Lack there are existing laws protecting Iraqis violence, LGBTIQ to provide safe housing for victims inneed.Even though currently doesnot allow civilsociety organizations inIraq Another priority is the amendment of the shelter law which Iraq Country Report

ilgaasia.org 04 Background Background In October 2005, the new Constitution of Iraq was approved Iraqi government. Slemani, Hawler, andDuhok under the supervisionof the Regional Government which governs the Kurdish citiesof form, andgoverns the country. The secondis the central government in which allethnic andreligious groups Officially, there are two governments in Iraq. The first is the and Kurdish are the two official languages of thecountry. about how many of them are identified asMuslims. Arabic registered asMuslims, though there isnoaccurate data About 99%of the country’s 38millionpopulation are Mandeaans, Circassians, Sabians,Kawliya, amongothers. Kurds, Turkmen, Assyrians, Yazidis, Shabakis, Armenians, Iraq ishome to diverse ethnic groups including Arabs, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, andSyria. The Republic of Iraq isacountry in Western Asia bordering About Iraq LGBTIQ individualsandorganizations. outlets. The consultant alsoconductedinterviews with ten international organizations, governments, andmedia reports, articles,and visual mediapublishedby Iraqi and rights of queer Iraqis. The consultant relied onnumerous challenges, andopportunities for advancing the human of LGBTIQ rights inIraq while identifying the needs, of LGBTIQ rights inIraq. The review highlights the state to-date account of humanrights situations andsnapshot In seven sections, the review encompasses the most up- and nolaw canbepassedif itopposed to the teachings Sharia legislations (Council for Foreign Relations n.d.). As such, well as divorce (Fox 2008). The codeisbasedonFrench civillaw as pertaining to personal status includingmarriageand Sharia Islamic laws asa formal source of law. While Iraq hasno country’s territories. Article 1 of Iraq’s CivilCodeidentifies the percentage of support varied widely between the by areferendum with a78%overall majority, although law isconsidered to be the source of laws in Iraq, courts,civilcourtshave used Sunni and Jafari ( Shi’ite ) interpretations of Sharia formatters Iraq Country Report Sharia

ilgaasia.org 05 Background as the PrimeMinister. The current president isBarham the leader of the winning party to form agovernment President and the Parliament. The President delegates of IslamIraq holdselectionsevery four years to elect the been reported anddocumented. More than 500people protestors by government-affiliated armed groups have academicians. Numerous attacks andkillingsagainst start of the October 2019revolution ledby youths and the State have beenunder attack, especially after the demanding their rights and the separation of religion and (reliefweb 2020). Protestors and the youth who have been COVID-19 pandemicand the subsequent lockdown violence continues to increase especially during the groups (HumanRights Watch 2020). For women, domestic undermined by the Iraqi authoritiesandaffiliated armed gender equality, and the right to life isconstantly Human rights enjoyment including freedom of expression, in Iraq Overview of HumanRights Situation groups(reliefweb 2020). the public without beingchallengedby more progressive groups were empowered to imposestrict socialruleson religious, and fundamental groups andparties. These which left apower vacuum that was filled with extremist, destabilized after the US-UK military led aninvasion followed. In2003,Iraq’s socialandpoliticalsystem were by religious beliefs. These beliefs are expected to be The socialandcultural normsinIraq are largely dictated cabinet and/or government. is appointed by the Councilof Ministers, which actsasa Prime Minister holdsmost of the executive authority and Saleh, while the PrimeMinister isMustafa Al-Kathimi. The housing for victims asitisstill illegalunder the domestic organisations continue to bebanned from offering safe organizations (Amnesty International 2021).Nonprofit have beendocumented by localandinternational arrests, andintimidation of journalists andacademicians country. Reports of enforced disappearances, arbitrary Region of Iraq isnot very different from the rest of the The situation in the autonomous,self-governed Kurdistan October andDecember 2019(Amnesty International 2021). were killed,and thousands have beeninjured between Iraq Country Report

ilgaasia.org 06 Background and others to accesssafe housing.Crimesrelated to honor marginalized groups like LGBTIQ Iraqis, women fleeing ISIS, This hasdirectly impacted the ability of vulnerable and violence law for them to runsafe houses(UN OHCHR2020). any consequences(Outright Action International, 2014). armed militia, these crimesare easily committed without followers andpoliticalinfluence, andinsome cases,an be killed.Given that those leadershave alarge number of a statement, to warn people that they either changeor fundamentalist religious leaders who release a“fatwa” or are motivated by hate speech that ismainly shared by and Madre, at least oncea year since2006. These killings organizations andothers like Outright Action International organized killingcampaignhasbeendocumented by these more than 200killings for eachof these years alone. An like HumanRights Watch andIraQueer documented Rights Watch, 2019). In2012and2017, organizations Sadr(Human including AsaebAhlAl-Haq, Army, ISIS and systematic killingcampaignsorganized by armedmilitias (The Guardian, 2017).LGBTIQ Iraqis often fall victim to one of the most dangerous countries for LGBTIQ people criminalized under Iraqi laws, Iraq isconsidered to be Despite the fact that beingLGBTIQ isnot expressly The State of LGBTIQ Rights inIraq Watch, 2020). alongside countries like ChinaandIran (HumanRights of the highest rates of implementing the death penalty, penalty oncrimessuchashomicide.In fact, ithasone Iraq isoneof 53countries that still impose the death with perpetrators andimpunity prevails (Catherine 2018). killing continue to occur regularly inIraq aslaws are lenient watch?v=pAvcEFqG-Xc&t=1s 1 governments like Sweden and the EU shared by the likes of the UK Embassy inIraq, andother fifth anniversary onsocialmedia which was echoedand movement. This includesIraQueer’s celebration of its response to different milestones achieved by the LGBTIQ and movement through mediaandpublicstatements in Iraq have aggressively attacked the LGBTIQ community (Mosimann, 2020). Similarly, politiciansandleadersin to humanity becauseof the existence of homosexuality Al-Sadr, claimed that COVID-19 was God’s punishment In 2020, numerous religious leaders,including Muqtada A video of that celebration isavailable at https://www.youtube.com/ 1 . This celebration. This Iraq Country Report

ilgaasia.org 07 Background 2020). IraQueer, and the LGBTIQ movement ingeneral (Maurice, was usedby different politicians to attack those states, IraQueer, Organisation of Women’s Freedom inIraq (OWFI), abusive families or temporary hosts. While organizations like manyof quarantinefound them having themselves with to has beenexacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemicas cannot afford to rent aplaceon their own. This challenge their gender markers, further marginalizes them as they conforming gender expressions, or those that donot match many LGBTIQ people,especially those who have non- are indanger. The lack of employment opportunities for kicked outby their families or escaping them as their lives Finally, LGBTIQ Iraqis often find themselves either being not workall the time. does the amount of money to be treated, although this strategy the doctor. They often find themselves having topay triple their anus, they face the risk of beingouted to the police by type of sex they have; for instance, if someonehasanSTI in infections (STI), especially when the STI couldindicate the get treatmentrisks when tryingto for sexually transmitted people are threatened. LGBTIQ peoplecontinue to face In addition to the right to life, other humanrights of LGBTIQ result of the increased hate speech. documentation, nineLGBTIQ peoplehave beenkilledasa religious teachings (Scene, 2020). According to IraQueer’s from them for “attacking” the Iraqi society’s values and of these embassies from Iraq anddemandinganapology by Iraqi politiciansandpartiescalling for the expulsion the rainbow flag on17May 2020have led toanoutrage embassies of Canadaand the European Unionandraising and Homophobia, Biphobia, Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) by the Additionally, marking the International Day against 3 2020. 2 that are verbally andphysically abusive of them. forcing many LGBTIQ people to continue living with families capacity of the safe housesoffered by theseorganizations, and others provide safe housing, the need far exceeds the ILGA Asia interviews with IraQueer andOWFI, undisclosedlocations, Other organizations chose to remain anonymous to avoid threats. 2 Iraq Country Report 3

ilgaasia.org 08 Background LGBTIQ Rights EmployedStrategies to Advance underground for security reasons. Other organizations like SEEDandOWFI operate mostly work more publicly, kept most of their employees hidden. the organization. For example, IraQueer, while doing their endanger their work and the lives of people working at continue to operate mostly underground asexposure could to stop defending LGBTIQ people. These organizations They were attacked onsocialmedia,and were asked led to threats from religious andconservative groups. their work gainingattention over the past years, which In Iraq, the leadingLGBTIQ rights organizations have seen areas: services. Ingeneral, they focus on three different safe housing,raising awareness, andproviding other people in the last five years. This includesproviding IraQueer’s work hasreached more than 1million and isrunentirely by LGBTIQ staff and volunteers. LGBTIQ ledorganization. It was founded in2015, IraQueer is the country’s first andonly national IraQueer ( • • Some of these publications were authored in awareness amongst andabout LGBTIQ Iraqis. other publications that were aimedat raising health guide,security guide,astory book,and the LGBTIQ community includingasexual organization produced numerous guides for aspect of its work. During these years, the IraQueer focused oneducation asaprimary Education organizations have submitted numerous UN international level. IraQueer and other partner voice inadvocating for LGBTIQ rights at the Advocacy years. talked aboutLGBTIQ people for the past three OWFI’s efforts inproducing a radio program that done allby themselves. IraQueer alsojoined others werepartners, while collaboration with www.iraqueer.org : IraQueer hasbeen the leading : In the beginningof its founding, ): Iraq Country Report

ilgaasia.org 09 Background more than 600,000 listeners in the last five years. with medicalservices. Their radio program reached in the last six years, andsupportedabout25people provided safe housing for nearly 100LGBTIQ people rights discreetly to protect their other work. OWFI As a feminist organization, OWFI supportsLGBTIQ ( Organization of Women’s Freedom inIraq (OWFI) http://www.owfiraq.org/ • • • the leading force behindIraq’s recognition of Rights Committee, amongothers. IraQueer was including the HumanRights Council, the Human reports, spoken at different international events that talks aboutLGBTIQ people which was later only organization inIraq to start aradio program awareness aboutLGBTIQ people. They were the were distributed around Baghdad to raise made numerous brochures andposters that Education theircases. them with for those who are seekingasylum to support transmitted infections, andreferrals especially medical servicesincluding treatment for sexually provides LGBTIQ Iraqis with safe housing, Direct Services (Human Rights Committee,2019). on CivilandPolitical Rights inFebruary 2020 commitments under the International Covenant Human Rights Committee for the review of Iraq’s in theirsubmission tothe orientationsexual the right to life for peopleregardless of their out of prisonor legalassistance. and legalrepresentation through bailing them also helpedLGBTIQ people with medicalneeds violent families, neighbors,or other threats. They the LGBTIQ community who were fleeing from OWFI provided safe housing to members of Direct Services hosted jointly with IraQueer. : Inpartnership with IraQueer, OWFI : Together with OWFI, IraQueer : Inpartnership with IraQueer, ): Iraq Country Report

ilgaasia.org 10 Background SEED ( diversity. relate to, to convey amessageof acceptance and aim is to useamedium,like art, that peoplecan 2020 and was funded by IraQueer andothers. Their artists onsocialmedia. This initiative started inJuly equality through sharingartproduced by localqueer An artistic platform that promotes gender andsexual Equality Art15 — Rasan ( the publication of this report. leave Iraq. This research is yet to bepublishedasof conducts research around LGBTIQ people’s need to An international organization basedinErbil that SEEFAR ( • • • • direct servicesandremained anonymous. Direct Services LGBTIQ rights in the city of Slemani,Iraq. They completed amural project to promote awareness aboutLGBTIQ people. to young peopleandactivists to increase their and definitions related tosexuality andgender Training ability to serve LGBTIQ citizens. activists, andpoliticalleaders, to improve their groups includingpoliceofficers, social workers, based violence andhumanrights to different Training www.seedkurdistan.org www.rasanorg.com A New Artistic Initiative Promoting : https://seefar.org/ : Rasanintroduced the basic terms : SEEDprovided training ongender- : SEEDprovided anumber of ): ): ): Iraq Country Report

ilgaasia.org 11 Background Priorities –Lobbying and Advocacy 1. 4. 3. 2.

End Systematic Killing: not have the financial resources, thenetwork, andin positions andunable to plan to leave Iraq as they do the vast majority of them find themselves in difficult process of leaving Iraq as they plan to seek asylum, but in things changing for them. Someof them are in the expressed their desire to leave Iraq as they seenohope Leaving Iraq: Iraq to provide safe housing for victims inneed. currently doesnot allow civilsociety organizations in LGBTIQ people,andamend the shelter law which Housing: Right to safe healthservices. ensure that LGBTIQ citizens have access to equaland Health: Right to public. Iraqiacknowledged thistothe United Nations (UN). However, the government hadnot successfully pushedIraq to recognize this right at the the universal right to life of LGBTIQ people.IraQueer They approached the issue through lobbying for stated that achieving this goal was ahuge task. are afraid to even gogrocery shopping.Organizations aspect of their lives. As such,many LGBTIQ people fundamental rights are threatened inalmost every highlightedfact the groups thatand theirinherent of suchhorrificcrimesgounpunished. All these Iraqis where impunity prevails andperpetrators systematic killingcampaignsagainst LGBTIQ expressed the urgent need to putanend to the people andorganizations who were interviewed certain cases, the documents needed to leave Iraq. Most LGBTIQ interviewees have Appeal to the Iraqi governmentIraqi Appeal tothe to Provide more safe housing for The vast majority of LGBTIQ Iraq Country Report

ilgaasia.org 12 Challenges and Opportunities for Intervention CHALLENGES for Intervention Opportunities and Challenges guide_-_english.pdf 4

https://www.iraqueer.org/uploads/1/2/4/0/124034920/legal_ 1 kidnapping, andother crimes(Iraqueer). the Penal Codeprotect allIraqis from violence, belief. Similarly, Articles 421,423,430, and431 of expression, ideologies,ethnicities, religion, and equality for all Iraqis regardless of their sex, gender, 14, 16,and22of the Constitution which guarantee LGBTIQ people’s humanrights including Articles numerous laws andarticles canbeused to ensure the Iraqi Constitution and the Penal Code.In fact, criminalize the LGBTIQ community according to Misapplication of the Law: Iraq doesnot explicitly Iraq Country Report 4

ilgaasia.org 13 Challenges and Opportunities for Intervention 3 2 “sinners’’ (Iraqueer, 2020). “ people have beenoffensive, including words like speakers. 95%of the words used to refer to LGBTIQ Most shows didnot provide any air time for queer 13% of the time was dedicated to LGBTIQ speakers. 2020). Inshows talking aboutLGBTIQ people,only incites violence against LGBTIQ citizens (Iraqueer, that the overwhelming majority of the coverage published by IraQueer inJune 2020, they found Ibrahim, 2020) (Johnston, 2020). Inastudy been the target of threats andkillings(Arwa incidents, certainactivists andjournalists have by armedgroups or the government. Inmany cover different topics,most outlets are controlled media outlets inIraq enjoy some freedom to opinion aboutLGBTIQ people. While ingeneral, playing acrucialrole inshaping the public’s Media Outlets: decades ago(Iraqueer, 2020). misguided notion was changedmore than three as anillness,”; despite the fact that this heavily World HealthOrganization classifies homosexuality misrepresenting facts andmakingclaimslike “The people (Iraqueer, 2020). Some went as far as relied onpersonalbeliefs to condemn LGBTIQ interviewed by different mediaoutlets have leaders, andother guests who were hosted and LGBTIQ identities. Doctors,politicians,religious accurate ideaof the level of awareness about coverage of LGBTIQ people,onecanobtain an does not exist. However, lookingat the media people’s awareness level regarding LGBTIQ people ofLack Awareness: justice. brought to puts their lives indanger asperpetrators are rarely actively limitsLGBTIQ Iraqis’ access to justice and was punishedby law inIraq (Iraqueer, 2020). This community inaccurately claimed that beingLGBTIQ politicians who madestatements about the LGBTIQ includes the policeand the judicialsystem. All Iraqi and values of the implementing authorities which by anapplication that reflects thepersonalbeliefs However, the text of these laws isoften overridden Shath ”, “ ”, Marith Iraqi mediaoutlets have been ”, ”, Kafir Official data measuring ” “faggots”, “terrorists”, and Iraq Country Report

ilgaasia.org 14 Challenges and Opportunities for Intervention OPPORTUNITIES 3 2 1 community (HumanRights Watch, 2018). accept UNrecommendations regarding the queer community, makingIraq the first Arab country to recommendations regarding the LGBTIQ This was however aresult of accepting numerous this right has yet to berecognized domestically. orientation innumerous UNsubmissions,although right to life for allpeopleregardless of their sexual by IraQueer andOWFI, Iraq hasrecognized the Political Progress: wordsaftersessions. thesetraining of mediapersonnel who started usingmore neutral them. IraQueer hasalsogiven training to anumber words beusedif TV channels wanted to feature organizations like IraQueer demanding that these homosexual. This change was adirect result of and accurate words like “ activists as they increased the useof more neutral more queer-friendly languageandhosting LGBTIQ there hasbeenachangein the frequency of using hate speechandusequeer-phobic language, majority of mediaoutlets continue to promote Social andCultural Change: Iraqis. became more vocal about the rights of LGBTIQ and anumber of individualLGBTIQ activists that by other feminist organizations like SEED, Al-Amal, LGBTIQ ledorganization inIraq, andit was followed 2015, IraQueer was launchedas the first national Iraqis despitebeinga feminist organization. In was the only organization advocating for LGBTIQ to resources on the internet. Before 2015, OWFI LGBTIQ activists, and the increasing accessibility like Outright andMadre, the emergence of Iraqi efforts of certaininternational organizations organizations isincreasing due to the leading for LGBTIQ Iraqis. The number of activists and showing interest insupportingandadvocating number of civilsociety organizations have started organizations: Increasing number of activists and Despite difficulties,anincreasing As aresult of the work done Mithly While the vastWhile ” which means ” which Iraq Country Report

ilgaasia.org 15 Challenges and Opportunities for Intervention 4 5 goals for LGBTIQ Iraqis and the movement. highlighting the different needs,difficulties,and have beenpublishedin Arabic, Kurdish, andEnglish the movement. Guides, videos, reports, andarticles available to the publicandcanbeused to advance earlier have produced alot of resources that are Availability of Resources: being more outspoken inpublic. as the fear of losing their lives stops them from the LGBTIQ community however remains discreet were starting to get involved with them. The rest of aware of the existence of these organizations and coverage meant that more LGBTIQ people were heightened visibility due to the increased media of threats faced by the different organizations, the Increased Visibility: Despite the increased level The organizations listed Iraq Country Report

ilgaasia.org 16 Works Cited from https://www.refworld.org/docid/5b34f0827.html LGBT Activisim in the MiddleEast andNorth Africa. Human Rights Watch. (2018, April). aspx?symbolno=CCPR%2fC%2fIRQ%2f6&Lang=en ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download. Covenant onCivilandPolitical Rights: https://tbinternet. due in2018 report submittedby Iraq under article40of the Covenant, Human Rights Committee.(2019, October 10). Cambridge University Press. Fox, J. (2008). A World Survey of Religion and the State. 2011. Council for Foreign Relations. (n.d.). need-for-new-domestic-violence-law story/16885-HRW:-%27Honor%27-killing-in-Iraq-shows- from Kurdistan 24: https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/ Iraq shows need for new law Catherine, J. J. (2018, August 08). journalists-fear-for-lives-after-basra-reporters-killed https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/1/12/iraqi- fear for lives after Basra reporters killed Arwa Ibrahim, A. A.-R. (2020, January 12). north-africa/iraq/report-iraq/ https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/middle-east-and- Amnesty International. (2021). chapters/iraq# from https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2020/country- Human Rights Watch. (2020). torture-sexual-orientation-and-gender-iraq report/2009/08/17/they-want-us-exterminated/murder- Gender inIraq Exterminated: Murder, Torture, Sexual Orientation and Human Rights Watch. (2019, August 17). Works Cited Retrievedhttps://www.cfr.org/timeline/iraq-war from . Retrieved from UnitedNations, International . Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/ Iraq Events of 2019 Iraq 2020. Audacityin Adversity HRW: ‘Honor’killingin The Iraq War, 2003- . Retrieved. from They Want Us Retrieved from Iraqi journalists Sixth periodic Iraq Country Report . Retrieved . Retrieved Retrieved

ilgaasia.org 17 Works Cited hrw.org/news/2020/08/07/submission-human-rights- advance of itsreview of Iraq. Human Rights Watch to the UNHumanRights Committeein Human Rights Watch. (2020, August 7). (2020, November 25). https://www.refworld.org/docid/58c2ba784.html reliefweb. Death Sentence: Persecutionof LGBT Iraqis. Outright Action International. (2014). iraq/280320201 Retrievedhttps://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/ from same-sex marriagecausedcoronavirus pandemic. Mosimann, Y. (2020, March 03). jawad-al-khalisi/ ambassador-expelled-embassy-tweet-muslim-cleric- www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/03/12/iraq-lgbt-british- for supportingLGBT+ rights calls onBritishandUSambassadors to beexpelled Maurice, E.P. (2020, March 12). www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/30102020 unpunished journalist killings:CPJ. Johnston, H. (2020, October 30). guide_-_english.pdf www.iraqueer.org/uploads/1/2/4/0/124034920/legal_ Iraqueer. (n.d.). english_.pdf org/uploads/1/2/4/0/124034920/media_report_-_ Anti-LGBT+ Rhetoric Iraqueer. (2020). iraq watch-un-human-rights-committee-advance-its-review- places in the world to begay or transgender The Guardian. (2017, March 01). news/iraqi-leaders-condemn-lgbtq-flag-of-eu-delegation/ of EUDelegation Scene. (2020, May 18). based-violence-iraq-enarku reliefweb.int/report/iraq/covid-19-exacerbating-gender- based violence inIraq Know your Rights . Retrieved from https://www.gscene.com/ Biased: Iraqi Mediaand the Spread of . Retrieved from https://www.iraqueer. COVID-19 exacerbating gender- Iraqi leaderscondemnLGBTQ+ flag [EN/AR/KU]. Retrieved from https:// . Retrieved from https:// Retrieved from https://www. Homophobic Iraqi cleric Where are the most difficult Shiite clericSadr says . Retrieved from https:// Iraq 3rd in world for Retrieved from https:// When ComingOutisa Submission by . Retrieved Retrieved from Iraq Country Report

ilgaasia.org 18 Works Cited lgbt difficult-places-in-the-world-to-be-gay-or-transgender- professionals-network/2017/mar/01/where-are-the-most- from https://www.theguardian.com/global-development- aspx ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DomesticViolenceIraq. far too many women inIraq. UN OHCHR.(2020, May 13). Caroline Léna Becker by CC3.0 Fahndrich from Unsplash, Mercedes Mehling from Unsplash, Cottonbro from Pexels, and Photo Credits: DeliaGiandeini from Unsplash,DeninLayley from Unsplash,Elyssa Safety athome,anillusion for Retrievedhttps://www. from Iraq Country Report

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