Alcohol consumption is a controversial issue in Iraq, while this is not the first time that the possibility of banning it has raised controversy in the country. There are shops specialized in selling alcohol, usually owned by people from Christian and Yazidi minorities, and spread in the capital, Baghdad. However, restaurants and hotels rarely serve alcohol, whose consumption is generally viewed negatively..
On Saturday, the Customs Authority informed all regions and customs centers to prevent the entry of alcoholic beverages of all kinds“.
The authority said in a statement that its directive “came based on the Municipal Imports Law,” referring to Article 14 of the law, which was published in the Official Gazette on February 20, and stipulates that “it is prohibited to import, manufacture, and sell alcoholic beverages of all kinds.”“.
The law, a copy of which was seen by AFP, imposes a fine on violators ranging from 10 million to 25 million Iraqi dinars (i.e. between 7,000 and 19,000 dollars)..
This law was voted on in 2016, but it was not published in the Official Gazette and therefore did not enter into force. At the time, the issue sparked a fierce debate in the country, and deputies and observers considered it unconstitutional.
Since the announcement of the decision, alcohol stores in Baghdad continue to operate normally. On Saturday afternoon, alcohol shops were still operating in the capital.
Condemn the decision
- Mustafa Saadoun of the Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights believes that Article 14 “does not conform to the constitution,” adding to France Press that it “restricts freedoms.”“.
- “This law is part of a whole set of (decisions) that restrict freedoms,” he added.
- On social media, the government’s decision on alcohol sparked controversy.
- “Non-Muslim religions do not prohibit alcoholic beverages, but these laws impose the same penalties on them,” Yazidi activist Murad Ismail wrote on Twitter in February.“.
- He adds, “While the world opens up to new ideas and freedoms and gives people the right to choose, unfortunately our country is retreating and the will of a specific class is being imposed on people.”“.
This legal article contradicts another decision of the Council of Ministers, issued on February 14, to impose customs duties of 200% on alcoholic beverages imported into Iraq, to be applied for a period of four years..
Meanwhile, the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq is not covered by this law issued by the federal government.
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