Human Rights Watch has released a report titled "They Want Us Exterminated: Murder, Torture, Sexual Orientation and Gender in Iraq" that documents a brutal anti-gay campaign that began in early 2009.

The attacks began in Sadr City, stronghold of Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army and have subsequently spread to other cities in Iraq - although the persecution remains concentrated in the Baghdad area.

Human Rights Watch believes the campaign is being coordinated by Iraqi militias and says government security forces may also be involved.

Gay men derisively referred to as "puppies" [jarawi] have been targeted. Mutilated bodies of victims have turned up in garbage dumps - some daubed with offensive terms such as "pervert" or "puppy."

In the case of some of the victims there is evidence that a powerful glue was used to seal the anus. Some of those subjected to this barbarity died after being forced to ingest a laxative.

One man described the attacks on gays as "a slaughterhouse on the streets." Another referred to it as "a theater of humiliation." The public manner in which the atrocities are 'advertised' make clear that it is meant to serve as a warning. Killings have been filmed and the videos circulated via Bluetooth.

Behind this persecution lies a deep-seated paranoia about the "feminisation" of Iraqi men. Being judged as 'too feminine' could be as simple as a lack of facial hair or hair that is slightly longer than average. Dress-choice and fashion accessories can make a person a target... jeans that are too tight, tank tops, the use of gel, a golden earring, a spiky hairdo, the use of perfume or cologne.

One explanation for the upsurge in violence against gays has been connected with the push by the Mahdi Army to reassert its control. In 2007 the Mahdi Army backed away from a confrontation with the Americans. It effectively stood-down and militia members faded into the general population. Rumors circulated that Muqtada al-Sadr had retreated and there was talk that he was seeking refuge in Iran.

A doctor who was interviewed by Human Rights Watch said that the Mahdi Army "has no authority on the street: so they want to use this (the anti-gay campaign) as a way to restore their credibility."

Officials dealing with the attacks face a wall of silence. The relatives of victims seldom volunteer information to the police.

A ministry spokesman Major General Abdul-Karim Khalaf said: "They consider talking about the subject worse than the crime itself. This is the nature of our society."

It's hardly surprising that relatives are reluctant to speak when there are widespread suspicions of police involvement in the attacks.

BBC report - here.