On Saturday, the Iraqi parliament approved a bill that would result in a maximum 15-year jail sentence for individuals engaged in same-sex relationships.
As part of the revisions to a 1988 law targeting prostitution, transgender individuals could face up to three years in prison.
The legislative changes were made during a session with 170 lawmakers present out of a total of 329.
An initial proposal had suggested that same-sex individuals could face the death penalty.
However, the updated amendments grant the courts the ability to sentence offenders to prison terms ranging from 10 to 15 years.
Furthermore, the law stipulates a minimum seven-year imprisonment for individuals involved in the “promotion” of same-sex relationships, and a one to three-year sentence for men found purposely imitating women.
The revised legislation criminalizes “biological sex changes stemming from personal preference or inclination” and penalizes transgender individuals and physicians who conduct gender reassignment surgeries with a maximum of three years in jail.