For violation of the ban are given huge prison sentences.
The Iraqi Parliament has approved a bill criminalizing same-sex relations. Violators will face criminal liability and imprisonment for up to 15 years.
According to Iraqi parliamentarians, the move is aimed at protecting religious values, Reuters reports. Human rights activists, meanwhile, condemned it as the latest attack on the LGBT community in Iraq.
The US State Department said the law passed by the Iraqi parliament was a threat to human rights and freedoms and would weaken Iraq's ability to diversify its economy and attract foreign investment.
“This amendment threatens those most at risk in Iraqi society. It could be used to restrict freedom of speech and expression,” the State Department said in a statement.
Memorial to the fallen Moldovan soldiers of the Transnistrian War in Chisinau. Photo: Alexander Moisseenko
Thirty-three years ago, a ceasefire brought an end to the Transnistrian War—sometimes described by locals as the Russian-Moldovan War. Although the tensions officially ended in 1992, its consequences continue to shape Moldovan politics, society, and security — especially in view of the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Finland is moving to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, which bans anti-personnel mines. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said the decision comes as a direct response to growing aggression from Russia.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has approved a set of controversial laws, including a “foreign agent” act aimed at NGOs and media. Critics say it mimics the U.S. FARA but is weaponized against dissent.
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The Russian capital faced one of the largest terrorist attacks in its history. The terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, which claimed the lives of many innocent people, was the second largest after the Beslan tragedy. But unlike previous attacks, this incident is shrouded in a layer of contradictory facts and ambiguities that point to possible miscalculations by the Russian security services
