[JURIST] The Iraqi National Assembly Tuesday approved new anti-terror legislation with stiff penalties for those convicted under it, including the death penalty [JURIST report] for those found guilty of financing or provoking terrorism. The new law comes as a violent insurgency has grown increasingly worse [JURIST report] while Iraq struggles to prepare for a referendum on its draft constitution [JURIST news archive]. The new law also requires life imprisonment for those convicted of concealing terrorist activity or provides shelter for terrorists. Although the legislation passed with overwhelming support for legislators present, a faction of Shiite lawmakers walked out of the session in protest over the definition of "terrorism" in the law. The law uses a Western definition that includes suggestions of violence, while the Islamic definition does not include suggestions of violence as terrorism. Also on Tuesday, an Iraqi court found 28 people guilty of terrorism under the old law, and sentenced them to between 10 and 20 years in prison. AP has more.