Prostitution in Iraq

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Prostitution in Iraq is illegal. [1] [2] The Iraqi penal code outlaws prostitution, with the pimp, the prostitute and the client all being liable for criminal penalties. Punishment can be severe, including life imprisonment. [1]

Contents

History

During the era of slavery in Ottoman Iraq (1534-1920), prostitution was connected to slavery. The Islamic Law formally prohibited prostitution. However, since the principle of concubinage in Islam in Islamic Law allowed a man to have intercourse with his female slave, prostitution was practiced by a pimp selling his female slave on the slave market to a client, who was allowed to have intercourse with her as her new owner, and who after intercourse returned his ownership of her to her pimp on the pretext of discontent, which was a legal and accepted method for prostitution for centuries in the Islamic world. [3]

Iraq war

Many women fleeing the war in Iraq have been forced into prostitution. Some sources claim up to fifty thousand Iraqi refugee women in Syria, many of them widows or orphans, have been forced into prostitution. [4] Sources claim the women are exploited by Arab states of the Persian Gulf. [5] After the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, private contracting companies used foreign prostitutes smuggled into bases and the Green Zone as bribery for other contracts. [6] [7]

Kurdistan Region

The Kurdistan region has reportedly received "women and children trafficked from the rest of Iraq for prostitution". [8] Criminal gangs have prostituted girls from outside of the Kurdistan Region in the provinces of Erbil, Duhok, and Slemani. [9] NGOs have alleged that some personnel from the Kurdistan Regional Government's Asayish internal security forces have facilitated prostitution in Syrian refugee camps in the Kurdistan Region. [10] Iraqi women were sold into “temporary marriages” and Syrian girls from refugee camps in the Kurdistan Region were forced into early or “temporary marriages”, and it was alleged that Kurdistan region's authorities ignored such cases. [10] [11]

Prostitutes invade Kirkuk

Soran Mama Hama, a young reporter for Livin Magazine wrote an article entitled "Prostitutes invade Kirkuk", which was published on 15 June 2008. [12] Hama said that he had the names of police brigadiers, many lieutenants, colonels, and many police and security officers involved in and covering up a prostitution network in Kirkuk. [13] [14] [15] The network involved 200 brothels in the city, each with 2 - 6 prostitutes. [12]

The Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate (KJS) said Mama Hama had received a threatening message from an unidentified person on 15 May. [13]

Hama was shot and killed in front of his home in Kirkuk on 21 July. [14] In the mobile phone Hama was using, there were messages discovered to be from a PUK politician who had threatened him with death prior to his assassination.

Other types of prostitution

In some cases, Iraqi teenage boys and young men are the prostitutes. In these cases the prostitutes are typically motivated by poverty and are mostly heterosexual.

Sex trafficking

Iraq is a source and destination country for women and children subjected to sex trafficking. The violent conflict with ISIS exacerbated the population's vulnerability to trafficking, in particular women and children. Refugees and IDPs face heightened risk of trafficking due to their economic and social vulnerability and lack of security and protections. NGOs report trafficking networks in the Kurdistan Region target refugees and IDPs, operating with assistance from local officials, including judges, officials from the Asayish forces, and border agents. In 2015, members of the Kurdistan Region Parliament and NGOs reported some personnel from the Asayish forces facilitated the sex trafficking of women and girls in Syrian refugee camps in the Kurdistan Region, primarily in Domiz refugee camp, as well as sex trafficking of girls outside of the camps. In 2016, NGOs reported Asayish guards not only allowed men to enter a camp to solicit commercial sex with refugee girls, but the guards also solicited sex from the refugee girls, including granting them permission to leave the camp in exchange for sex. Reports from 2015 indicated IDPs and some Syrian refugee women were forced into prostitution by a trafficking network in hotels and brothels in Baghdad, Basrah, and other cities in southern Iraq after agents of the network promised to resettle them from the Kurdistan Region. [16]

Reports continue to suggest some Iraqi law enforcement officials have allegedly frequented brothels known for sex trafficking or accepted bribes to allow sex trafficking. Media and other observers reported in 2015 that an Iranian sex trafficking network operated brothels in Erbil where Afghan girls were exploited in commercial sex; the media reported a KRG official allegedly paid $3,000 for an Afghan sex trafficking victim. There were anecdotal reports, including from a June 2016 local television station, of child sex trafficking of girls primarily from Iraq and Syria, as well as some from the Kurdistan Region, in Sulaymaniyah. NGOs also report cases in which girls who have run away from their families out of fear of honor killings are exploited in commercial sex by criminal networks. [16]

Women primarily from Iran, China, and the Philippines are forced into prostitution in Iraq. [17]

The United States Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons ranks Iraq as a 'Tier 2 Watch List' country. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in Asia</span>

The legality of prostitution in Asia varies by country. There is often a significant difference in Asia between prostitution laws and the practice of prostitution. In 2011, the Asian Commission on AIDS estimated there were 10 million sex workers in Asia and 75 million male customers.

Forced prostitution, also known as involuntary prostitution or compulsory prostitution, is prostitution or sexual slavery that takes place as a result of coercion by a third party. The terms "forced prostitution" or "enforced prostitution" appear in international and humanitarian conventions, such as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, but have been inconsistently applied. "Forced prostitution" refers to conditions of control over a person who is coerced by another to engage in sexual activity.

Prostitution in Ecuador is legal and regulated, as long as the prostitute is over the age of 18, registered, and works from a licensed brothel. Prostitution is widespread throughout the country. Many brothels and prostitutes operate outside the regulatory system and the regulations have been less strictly enforced in recent years. 25,000 prostitutes were registered in the year 2000. In 2007 it was estimated that 70% of the prostitutes in the country were from Colombia. The country attracts Colombian prostitutes as the currency is the US$ rather than the unstable Colombian peso. UNAIDS estimate there to be 35,000 prostitutes in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in Pakistan</span>

Prostitution in Pakistan is a taboo culture of sex-trade that exists as an open secret but illegal. Prostitution is largely based in organisational setups like brothels or furthered by individual call girls.

Prostitution in Syria is illegal, but the law is not strictly enforced. UNAIDS estimate there are 25,000 prostitutes in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in Bangladesh</span>

Prostitution is legal and regulated in Bangladesh. Prostitutes must register and state an affidavit stating that they are entering prostitution of their own free choice and that they are unable to find any other work. Bangladeshi prostitutes often suffer poor social conditions and are frequently socially degraded.

Prostitution is illegal in Egypt. The Egyptian National Police officially combats prostitution but, like almost all other countries, prostitution exists in Egypt. UNAIDS estimate there to be 23,000 prostitutes in the country, including Egyptians, West African and Eastern Europeans.

Prostitution in the State of Palestine is illegal, under Palestinian law.

Prostitution is illegal in Iran, and incurs various punishments ranging from fines and jail terms to execution for repeat offenders.

Prostitution in Lebanon is nominally legal and regulated. However, no licences have been issued since 1975. In modern Lebanon, prostitution takes place semi-officially via 'super night clubs', and illegally on the streets, in bars, hotels and brothels. UNAIDS estimate there to be 4,220 prostitutes in the country.

In 2008, Syria was a destination and transit country for women and children trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. A significant number of women and children in the large and expanding Iraqi refugee community in Syria were reportedly forced into commercial sexual exploitation by Iraqi gangs or, in some cases, their families. Similarly, women from Somalia and Eastern Europe were trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation. Foreign women recruited for work in Syria as cabaret dancers were not permitted to leave their work premises without permission, and they had their passports withheld - indicators of involuntary servitude. Some of these women may also have been forced into prostitution. Anecdotal evidence suggests that Syria may have been a destination for sex tourism from other countries in the region. In addition, women from Indonesia, the Philippines, Ethiopia, and Sierra Leone were recruited for work in Syria as domestic servants, but some face conditions of involuntary servitude, including long hours, non-payment of wages, withholding of passports, restrictions on movement, threats, and physical or sexual abuse. Syria may also have been a transit point for Iraqi women and girls trafficked to Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), and Lebanon for forced prostitution. The Government of Syria did not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and did not make significant efforts to do so. Syria again failed to report any law enforcement efforts to punish trafficking offenses over the last year. In addition, the government did not offer protection services to victims of trafficking and may have arrested, prosecuted, or deported some victims for prostitution or immigration violations.

Prostitution in Rwanda is illegal in all aspects. Prostitutes, clients and any involved third parties are criminalised by the country's Penal Code. However, a draft of a new Penal Code that does not prohibit prostitution was presented for debate in the Rwandan Parliament in December 2017.

Prostitution in Namibia is legal and a highly prevalent common practice. Related activities such as solicitation, procuring and being involved in the running of a brothel are illegal. A World Bank study estimated there were about 11,000 prostitutes in Namibia.

Iraq ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol in February 2009.

Prostitution in Jordan is technically illegal, but in practice, tolerated, with authorities turning a blind eye to the act. Prostitution occurs mainly in the larger cities in their poor neighbourhoods. It occurs in brothels, restaurants, night clubs and on the streets. The prostitutes are mainly from Russia, Ukraine, the Philippines, Morocco, Tunisia, Syria, Iraq as well as Jordanians.

Prostitution in Kyrgyzstan has been legal since 1998, but the operation of brothels, pimping, and recruiting persons into prostitution are illegal, with penalties of up to five years There are estimated to be 7,100 sex workers in the country. Prostitution occurs on the streets, in bars, hotels and brothels.

Prostitution in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is legal but related activities are prohibited. The Congolese penal code punishes pimping, running a bawdy house or brothel, the exploitation of debauchery or prostitution, as well as forced prostitution. Activities that incite minors or promote the prostitution of others have been criminalised. The government does little to enforce the law. During the colonial era and the years that followed independence, the Ministry of Health issued calling cards identifying professional sex workers and provided them with medical health checks. However, this system was abandoned in the 1980s. Public order laws are sometimes used against sex workers. Street prostitutes report harassment, violence and extortion from the police. UNAIDS estimated there are 2.9 million sex workers in the country.

Prostitution in Libya is illegal, but common. Since the country's Cultural Revolution in 1973, laws based on Sharia law's zina are used against prostitutes; the punishment can be 100 lashes. Exploitation of prostitutes, living off the earnings of prostitution or being involved in the running of brothels is outlawed by Article 417 of the Libyan Penal Code. Buying sexual services isn't prohibited by law, but may contravene Sharia law.

Prostitution in Algeria is illegal under Article 343 of the Algerian Penal Code. This article also prohibits the use of prostitution services, pimping, living with a prostitute, soliciting, and forcing others into prostitution.

Prostitution in Burundi is illegal but is commonplace and on the rise. Prostitution is prevalent in all areas of the country, and especially in the largest city, Bujumbura, and prior to the security crisis in 2015, the tourist areas around Lake Tanganyika. UNAIDS estimate there are 51,000 prostitutes in Burundi. Many women have turned to prostitution due to poverty. Previously law enforcement made little effort to curb prostitution. Political pressures, including from the mayor of Bujumbura, Freddy Mbonimpa, have led to crackdowns all over the country.

References

  1. 1 2 "Sex Work Law - Countries". Sexuality, Poverty and Law. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  2. ↑ "The Legal Status of Prostitution by Country". ChartsBin.
  3. ↑ B. Belli, "Registered female prostitution in the Ottoman Empire (1876-1909)," Ph.D. - Doctoral Program, Middle East Technical University, 2020. p 56
  4. ↑ '50,000 Iraqi refugees' forced into prostitution Archived 8 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine . News.independent.co.uk (24 June 2007). Retrieved on 2011-06-04.
  5. ↑ Iraqi refugees forced into prostitution Archived 1 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine . Radionetherlands.nl. Retrieved on 4 June 2011.
  6. ↑ Schwellenbach, Nick; Sebert, Lagan (30 August 2010). "Military Subcontractors Bribing U.S. Personnel With Prostitutes? The Shady World of War Contracting in Afghanistan and Iraq". AlterNet. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  7. ↑ "US military contractors in Iraq 'employed prostitutes, smuggled booze'". Alaraby. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  8. ↑ What Kind of Liberation?: Women and the Occupation of Iraq, Nadje Al-Ali,Nicola Pratt, p. 108ff
  9. ↑ "Iraq". State.gov. 1 June 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  10. 1 2 "Iraq". State.gov. 27 July 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  11. ↑ "EXCLUSIVE: Report exposes rampant sexual violence in refugee cam". Rudaw.net. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  12. 1 2 "Prostitutes conquer Kirkuk: a report written with blood". On Line Opinion. 7 August 2008. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  13. 1 2 "Soran Mama Hama". Committee to Protect Journalists.
  14. 1 2 Fatih, Nwenar; Mahmood, Shakhawan (July 2011). "First martyr of pen murders to be revealed". Kirkuk Now. Archived from the original on 1 November 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  15. ↑ "Covering Iraq is deadliest job for reporters, again". CNN. 18 December 2008. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013.
  16. 1 2 3 "Iraq 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 29 July 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2018.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  17. ↑ "Iraq". 2015 Trafficking in Persons Report. U.S. State Department.
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