According to the New York-based group Human Rights Watch, militiamen are targeting homosexuals in Iraq, resulting in their systematic torture and subsequent murder. Bodies of gay men have been discovered in Baghdad’s Shiite district with derogatory names written on their chests. The alleged social cleansing has spread to Najaf, Basra and Kirkuk, although to a lesser extent.
An accurate tally of the number of crimes committed against homosexuals cannot be assessed due to the reluctance of authorities to investigate the incidents, and the stigma placed upon families reporting the crimes. A United Nations official has reported to Human Rights Watch that the murders number in the hundreds.