Iraq’s parliament on Saturday approved amendments to its anti-prostitution law to criminalize same-sex relations and transgender expression, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

The new law has already prompted diplomatic backlash, with a US State Department spokesperson saying it threatens “those who are already most at risk in Iraqi society” and “could be used to suppress freedom of expression.”

Matthew Miller warned in a statement that the legislation could also deter foreign investment, saying, “International business coalitions have already indicated that such discrimination in Iraq will hurt business and the country’s economic growth.”

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron also spoke out, calling the law “deeply concerning and dangerous.”

While homosexuality is taboo in conservative Iraqi society and several political leaders have previously campaigned against LGBTQ+ people, there was no law in the country specifically criminalizing it.

The new legislation was passed Saturday as an amendment to the country’s anti-prostitution law and imposes prison sentences of 10 to 15 years for same-sex sexual relations and one to three years for anyone who undergoes gender confirmation surgery, as well as the doctor who performs it.

It also bans any organization that promotes “sexual deviations,” punishable by at least seven years in prison and a fine of no less than 10 million dinars (about $7,600), and includes punishments for any man who displays “effeminate behavior.”

An earlier draft of the bill, which was not ultimately passed, had proposed the death penalty for same-sex relations.

Iraq’s parliament justified the amendments by saying it needed to “preserve moral decency in Iraqi society from the calls for homosexuality that have invaded the world” and because of the country’s “lack of legislation that punishes homosexual acts with deterrence.”

In a statement, the acting speaker of the Council of Representatives, Mohsen Al-Mandalawi, said the vote was “a necessary step to protect the value structure of society” and to “protect our children from calls for moral depravity and homosexuality.”

Rasha Younes, a researcher with Human Rights Watch’s LGBT Rights Program, said the passage of the law “cements Iraq’s horrific record of rights violations against LGBT people and is a major blow to fundamental human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and association, privacy, equality, and non-discrimination.”

A 2022 report by the organization accused armed groups in Iraq of abducting, raping, torturing, and killing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people with impunity, and the Iraqi government of failing to hold those responsible to account.

Read more: Iraq criminalizes homosexuality with sentences of up to 15 years in prison (Portuguese version)