Security Alerts

LGBTQ+ Iraq news, security alerts, and risk advisories. Aggregated from multiple verified sources, reviewed before publication.

Sources we monitor: Reuters, AP, BBC, Al Jazeera English, Middle East Eye, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Outright International, ILGA, Rainbow Railroad, IraqiNews, Rudaw, Kurdistan24, Pink News, Washington Blade, the Advocate, them., and Google News for "LGBTQ Iraq" and adjacent queries.

23 alerts

INFO News

EU embassies face Iraqi backlash after raising 'LGBTQ flag' - The New Arab

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxPckUzS0RCekpVbjJ5V1ZLSDU1ZjRRTGI3Tm03MzJZYVdyc2wtVy1TMGdLaDRfUmx4WTB3alREVGtrTmdqN3JqSTZ5YkdlS1diUlRzWlNSRWN3bVRzT3BtY3ZqY0N5aXBqbkVadWRuZlZtN0JfUXZUSlg5cmF1Rm

Source: The New Arab
INFO News

How one man is trying to make it safer to be LGBTQ in Iraq - The Washington Post

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxPWm9RRmVNZkV5WHlQQm8zNWNDVHdkQzR3cElpaEJDRVIycVU4SjBRbzN4MlcyRE96N3B4b3ZZbWtqM3VKYlRpWldPblhCUGpycHVrSmE4TS1HWV9xc0xWNVBDWVJ4cEFFeFFic3ZhSTYtZVAxeU5jVXhxbGxQY2

Source: The Washington Post
INFO News

TV exposé from Iran targets LGBTQ safe houses in Iraq - Erasing 76 Crimes

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVEFVX3lxTE1jNFFDT0JIalVPNTJGUVZIeVNDNlZQWmNjcTZQMlh1UjJaVTJuSWxkd2NDUEdsMlpHZlZaUkt3UW9sQXdmVTNPelpVWmtfQm9PUEFKQQ?oc=5" target="_blank">TV exposé from Iran targets LGBTQ

Source: Erasing 76 Crimes
MEDIUM Legal

Activists condemn proposed law banning LGBTQ+ advocacy in Iraqi Kurdistan - Middle East Eye

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxNbjVyVEZucFE1OGlkVGtkX0JjRlYzU3FKRVUtb2x3bS1jenQwWTlFZDFkbzRvNjc2ZjBLTEcwN0dzMXA3OUdUY2xaTjRzbUpwWENhdEstUXJsOWNxejd2cUM0NVBOM25SS0p1aGNTWTlqRDZDbFRIT2RuRGU1NW

Source: Middle East Eye
INFO News

Countries that regressed on LGBTQ+ rights in 2024, from Iraq to the UK - PinkNews

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMidkFVX3lxTE5CNGxwUFc4UWNvT1NjTkdTdVRMUUJ0VjdTQ2F1Zm5WZ1M2NjY0Z0YwUU9JX0o2SVd4TktlMnQ4RkVjeHFHVFV1ajRXSm1FQlcyWVg5ZUZmUjJtYjF2R3ZrZW9FeTVnVkU1V2tndlRFSmRpMzcySmc?oc=5" targ

Source: PinkNews
INFO News

How one man is trying to make it safer to be LGBTQ in Iraq - The Washington Post

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxPWm9RRmVNZkV5WHlQQm8zNWNDVHdkQzR3cElpaEJDRVIycVU4SjBRbzN4MlcyRE96N3B4b3ZZbWtqM3VKYlRpWldPblhCUGpycHVrSmE4TS1HWV9xc0xWNVBDWVJ4cEFFeFFic3ZhSTYtZVAxeU5jVXhxbGxQY2

Source: The Washington Post
INFO News

Influential Iraqi cleric launches anti-LGBTQ campaign - AP News

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxQX2E3SUo2VmpycWtfTTBaOHE4dDVNbmZOaEdKMDRabnViMWxHYWRJVHhER2RJYzlYaUFyU3FKVVlIZjF3eUdfUUY1bjEyWlRUb2JQdkstQlNCQUswSjlUWG5QUXFWODNmTVVQYUlXQk5JTnltcU91RnQtQjRFSW

Source: AP News
HIGH News

Iraq: Arrests among LGBTQ+ community in Kurdish city sparks fierce debate - Middle East Eye

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihgFBVV95cUxOZVJfTlZsUnRQZHhUcWhtR3N5VnFianhRNkQwMGJQX2dlWF9TeVdiWGpvTEJQYUVUMGtNZFdJWldPTk9JYi1Pd2xxOHBTanlYWGhLY29vVEJDVkZEbzBNTGtfclFLSDdiZ2FJLVFHU0YwRUd0SFR4S0YwSGMtSl

Source: Middle East Eye
MEDIUM Legal

Iraq debates law on death penalty for same-sex relationships - DW.com

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxNSmZ2X2NEZWExZ3lwVXRWcWlrdERGb1REYnozZ2ZjTVh5QmNJNmxYQ0lSdVlJLWE4UHBwYUdPWEVrbDhidE9rOFVrRnBMRkpjdzJqR2xrMkl1QkJCNm9vV0ZiRXo0MVJrbFFpaEg2T3NhTWR5YlVVQ2FCMUluWT

Source: DW.com
MEDIUM Legal

Iraq drafts law to ban LGBTQ+ publishing as Sadr tweets more homophobia - Middle East Eye

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiigFBVV95cUxPckEtLUc4V0Etc2dtVDd3QVBxa3hqdW41MW9lR1VnT05ndy1MYWs0eE5RWnExY1FuOEpZVjQ3MnAtM2MyYkFpQm9qaUFjb3NiTHdNNWRrb1lSV2xBZWtPY0ZEZUwteXBDeDZoc3F3N2NabGVTNm1paHNJeEZMcE

Source: Middle East Eye
INFO News

Iraq postpones vote on bill to impose death penalty for same-sex acts - Erasing 76 Crimes

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxNbW1QVlpvWE9Pbi1MZnJaY3pMLVQ1bU9XUVVqV1dXaGFpYXNUZ1IyT3VfSDJta1lXY08wdVF1Skc3Rm5SUUFEZUE2TVMtNGVQUVdjTTZFeXU1U1FDZXViTnlHb3BTcHl3cWVmbS1wUFE0QzZ5N2o4a2dybHRnZ3

Source: Erasing 76 Crimes
INFO News

LGBTQ activists in Iraq will 'not hesitate' to keep on protesting despite threats - Middle East Eye

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMibkFVX3lxTE5LdVlYZHA5bkhGQTdPYkJ6Yl9qRHd5eFhxaGU3RDhkQXF1ZUJGREFVZUppQksyOFVRZUQzdHlLb2hOWkhqY2UxS2RuS25sYkxFQWlKSkZnbHBaUUx6Sl9Hc1RGY1VNYUkyOFlrR3Zn?oc=5" target="_blank"

Source: Middle East Eye
MEDIUM Legal

Same-sex couples face up to 15 years in prison in Iraq’s LGBTQ crackdown - CNN

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMifkFVX3lxTE1vaG94SndVS2RkTGo4SXpJVEVYM0dlYTlmSGZqLXJwM3U5ajVoODgxRmFWUER5a2NlbWZiSEZQTzlrbmJDY3duZXZ3WWZ2ZFNudkpnSms5U1NuWnFTVXVrSkxnOWNLaWxZZzFBZ2s3NE9KNncyc3Z5eGU3aVFJdw

Source: CNN
INFO News

What It’s Really Like To Fight For LGBTQ Rights In Iraq - The Fader

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigwFBVV95cUxQSzFQQjNDRmtVRHVVSXFmRlV3d3dCbTU3RnFSdEFObFdPckhNZGlOVGl1aVJoc3pDTmFiZWs4a01DVVl0VzN2c0ZaaHVrcXM1YUJJRzA0NFlNWC03ZzJoVVNFc1dRaWhvckpyWVdCeWxrZXg3VVYzQXBKcDdwck

Source: The Fader
INFO Asylum

Asylum pathways for LGBTQ+ Iraqis — 2024–2025 status

Multiple countries have expanded recognition of Iraqi LGBTQ+ asylum claims following Law 14. Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US continue to grant asylum on these grounds, with timelines varying.

Source: UNHCR / Rainbow Railroad / national immigration authorities Affected: LGBTQ+ Iraqis considering or actively seeking international protection
INFO Legal

UN Universal Periodic Review of Iraq: 17 LGBTQ+ recommendations rejected

In Iraq's 2024 Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council, 17 specific recommendations addressing LGBTQ+ rights were issued by member states. Iraq accepted partial recommendations on torture and arbitrary detention but rejected all LGBTQ+-specific recommendations.

Source: UN Human Rights Council / Outright International / ILGA World Affected: All LGBTQ+ Iraqis — international advocacy context
MEDIUM Legal

Trans healthcare access in Iraq tightening — pharmacy compliance shift since Law 14

Anecdotal reports indicate Iraqi pharmacies are more cautious about hormone sales since the April 2024 law criminalized 'biological sex change for non-medical reasons.' Some pharmacies now require prescriptions or refuse to stock estradiol.

Source: Community reports / Iraqi Social Progress Collective Affected: Trans Iraqis seeking HRT through pharmacy channels
HIGH Border / travel

Airport and checkpoint phone searches now actively scanning for LGBTQ+ apps

Reports from travelers leaving Iraq via Baghdad International and Erbil International airports indicate increased phone searches by border officers, with specific attention to dating apps and queer-related content.

Source: Community reports / Outright International Affected: Travelers leaving Iraq, especially via Baghdad International (BGW) and Erbil International (EBL)
CRITICAL Legal

Iraq passes Law No. 14 — same-sex relations now criminalized 10–15 years

On April 27, 2024, Iraq's parliament passed the 'Anti-Prostitution and Homosexuality Law,' formally criminalizing same-sex relations for the first time with sentences of 10–15 years.

Source: Reuters / AP / BBC / Human Rights Watch Affected: All LGBTQ+ Iraqis
HIGH Surveillance

Iraqi media commission orders 'sexual deviance' replace 'homosexuality' in all coverage

The Iraqi Communications and Media Commission directed all media outlets in August 2023 to replace 'homosexuality' (المثلية الجنسية) with 'sexual deviance' (الشذوذ الجنسي), and 'gender' with 'sex,' under threat of license revocation.

Source: Rudaw / Reuters / Iraqi Communications and Media Commission Affected: Iraqi journalists, media workers, and the public discourse
CRITICAL Violence

Dating app entrapment: armed groups using Grindr, Hornet to lure LGBTQ+ Iraqis

Human Rights Watch documented a sustained pattern of armed groups using dating apps to identify, lure, and attack queer Iraqis. Risk has increased since Law No. 14 passed in 2024.

Source: Human Rights Watch — 'Everyone Wants Me Dead' Affected: LGBTQ+ Iraqis using dating/hookup apps, especially in Baghdad and southern provinces
INFO Surveillance

VPN-required platforms in Iraq: Grindr blocked since 2018, periodic Telegram/Twitter restrictions

Iraq has blocked several queer-relevant platforms over the years. Grindr has been blocked at the ISP level since 2018. Telegram, Twitter/X, and TikTok have faced periodic restrictions.

Source: Access Now / NetBlocks / Iraqi Communications and Media Commission Affected: Iraqi internet users — VPN required for blocked platforms
INFO Violence

Historical context: HRW 'They Want Us Exterminated' (2009) — Mahdi Army death squads

Human Rights Watch's 2009 report documented hundreds of murders of gay men in Iraq between 2003 and 2009 by Mahdi Army-affiliated militias. The pattern foreshadowed and informs current threats.

Source: Human Rights Watch — 'They Want Us Exterminated' Affected: Historical — gay and gender-non-conforming Iraqi men