A gay hate campaign in Iraq

Threats,abuses have spread to cities of Kirkuk,Najaf and Basra

Murders are committed with impunity,admonitory in intent,with corpses dumped in garbage or hung as warnings on the street

HRW blames failure of authorities to investigate such crimes and the stigma preventing families from reporting deaths

Well-informed UN official said in April that the death toll was probably in hundreds

Campaign largely blamed on Shiite extremists who have long targeted behaviour deemed un-Islamic

Fliers warning homosexuals that they will be killed unless they come back to their senses distributed in Sadr City earlier this year

35-year-old Hamids partner was seized in early April by four gunmen. His body was found the next day. His genitals were cut off and a piece of his throat was ripped out, Hamid said

Iraqi law does not ban consensual homosexual conduct between adults,but contains certain provisions that can be exploited,including Saddam Hussein-era provisions that could reduce penalties for so-called honour crimes and crimes against people due to their sexual orientation

Report based on interviews with more than 50 Iraqi men who identified themselves as gay,Iraqi human rights activists,journalists and doctors