BAGHDAD, Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Shiite militias in Iraq are now brutally killing gays and children forced into same-sex prostitution, a report says Sunday.
The killings are ignored under Iraqi law because homosexuality is seen as a horrific act against Islam, London's Observer newspaper reports, and those doing the killing face no consequences.
Section 111 of Iraq's penal code lays out legal protections for murder when the targeted people are deemed to be acting against Islam. Homosexuality is viewed by some as so immoral that killing someone who is gay qualifies as an "honor killing," the newspaper says.
Graphic photos the newspaper obtained show ruthless execution scenes of Iraqis believed to have been gay.
The fervency of the militia death squads is growing into brutal "witch hunts" for homosexuals and even as an excuse to torture and kill people wearing Western clothing, the newspaper says.
The killing campaign is responsible for a rise in Iraqis seeking asylum in Britain, the Observer says.
