Iraq banned the term "homosexuality" from being used in the media, commanding that journalists use "sexual deviance" in its place.
An Iraqi Communications and Media Commission, a media regulation agency, "direct[ed] media organizations ... not to use the term 'homosexuality' and to use the correct term 'sexual deviance'," the Arabic-language statement said, per Reuters.
Critics said the rule added fuel to what was already a hostile climate in which LGBT people are frequently attacked in the Middle East country.
"The Iraqi authorities must immediately overturn this decision and ensure that they respect the right to freedom of expression and non-discrimination for all individuals in the country," Amnesty International’s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, Aya Majzoub, said.
"The directive from Iraq’s official media regulator is the latest in a series of attacks on freedom of expression under the guise of respect for ‘public morals,'" Majzoub continued. "[This] is a dangerous move that can fuel discrimination and violent attacks."
Homosexuality is not explicitly prohibited in Iraqi law, however Iraq has used Sharia law as well as other laws in place surrounding "modesty" to bring charges against gays and lesbians, according to watchdog group Human Dignity Trust (HDT).
"There have been numerous reports in recent years of non-state actors ordering the executions of men and women for same-sex intimacy under Sharia law," said HDT.
In July, Iraqi parliament introduced a bill that would criminalize homosexuality.
"The law will allow the Iraqi government, armed groups, and others who attack LGBT+ citizens to legally get away with their crimes," Amir Ashour, executive director of Iraqueer, said.
A Human Rights Watch report found that there were organized "killings, abductions, torture, and sexual violence against LGBT people by armed groups in Iraq."
An LGBT individual described being tortured with a razor blade with cuts all over their body. "They sliced me up and poured around five liters of gasoline all over my body and face and set me alight… The neighbors rescued me."
Another account said, "my boyfriend was killed in front of me… They beat him and forced him into the car and drove away. I followed them in my car... They arrived at a big farm, took out my boyfriend and started beating him. I heard him scream and sob. I wanted to help but I was terrified… They kept beating him for around 20 minutes. Then they shot him five times."
"LGBT people across Iraq face routine violence from security officials, who verbally abuse and sexually assault them, arbitrarily arrest them, and detain them. Security forces also physically, verbally, and sexually harass people at checkpoints whom they perceive to be LGBT," the 2022 report said.
Also on Wednesday, the UN's Human Rights chief – Volker Türk – departed Iraq and expressed concern about the "climate emergency." He proceeded to blast the U.S. for the torture that had occurred in the country during the invasion.
Türk added that there is concern that Iraq was stifling the terms "gender" and "women's empowerment" from the discourse.
"This makes no sense in the face of the massive challenges that the country has," he said.
However, he did not comment at length on the human rights abuses against LGBT Iraqis in his speech.
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