Iraq
As of February 2026, Iraq is experiencing a significant legislative shift toward religious conservatism, which international monitors warn is undoing decades of progress for women’s rights. While the country is no longer in a state of open civil war, the "normalization" of sectarian legal systems and the suppression of digital dissent define the current human rights landscape.
The following are the most critical human rights issues in Iraq today:
1. Rollback of Women’s and Girls’ Rights
Sectarian Personal Status Law: In late 2025, the Iraqi Parliament passed a landmark amendment to the 1959 Personal Status Law. This change allows citizens to choose religious "jurisprudential rules" (such as the Shia Ja’afari school) to govern family matters instead of civil law.
Legalization of Child Marriage: Under these religious codes, marriage for girls as young as nine years old can be legally recognized. The amendment also removes a woman's right to remain in the marital home after divorce and grants fathers automatic custody of children over age seven.
Impunity for Domestic Violence: Despite years of advocacy, Iraq still lacks a comprehensive anti-domestic violence law. Provisions in the Penal Code (Article 41) still allow husbands to "discipline" their wives, and "honor" remains a mitigating factor that reduces sentences for men who murder female relatives.
2. Digital Repression and Freedom of Expression
"Indecent Content" Crackdowns: Authorities have intensified a campaign against social media influencers and journalists under vague "morality" laws. In early 2026, dozens of individuals were sentenced to prison for content deemed "violating public decency," a term that critics say is used to silence political satire and LGBTQ+ advocacy.+1
Content Creator Fees: New regulations implemented in 2025 require content creators with significant followings to register with the government and pay annual fees of up to 1 million dinars ($760), effectively placing independent media under state financial oversight.
The Information Access Gap: While a "Right to Information Law" is currently under debate in February 2026, human rights groups worry it contains too many "national security" exemptions that will actually make it harder to expose government corruption.
3. Judicial System and the Death Penalty
Mass Executions: Iraq continues to be one of the world's top executioners. In late 2025, the government carried out multiple "mass executions" of prisoners convicted under the Anti-Terrorism Law, many of whom alleged their confessions were extracted through torture.
Due Process Failures: Overcrowding in prisons has reached critical levels, with some facilities holding triple their intended capacity. Detainees often wait years for trial, frequently without access to legal counsel or family visits.
4. Environmental Rights and Water Crisis
The "Right to Water": Iraq is facing its worst water crisis in modern history due to regional damming and climate change. In rural southern Iraq, the loss of arable land has led to the forced displacement of thousands of families into urban slums.
Corruption in Environmental Justice: In early 2026, the UN launched an initiative to tackle corruption linked to water management. Activists who speak out against the "water mafia"—armed groups that illegally divert river water for private gain—face frequent threats and assassinations.
5. Displacement and Minority Rights
Camp Closures: The federal government has pushed to close all remaining IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps by mid-2026. This has left over 100,000 Yazidis and other minorities in the Kurdistan Region facing "forced returns" to areas like Sinjar, which still lack basic services, security, and housing.
Salary Crisis in Kurdistan: Ongoing disputes between Baghdad and Erbil over oil revenues led to a total halt in public sector salaries in late 2025, crippling schools and hospitals in the Kurdistan Region and triggering widespread strikes.