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| Britain |
| Britain: Gay Iranian given asylum |
| 2008-05-21 |
| A gay Iranian teenager who feared execution for his sexual orientation if he were deported, has been granted asylum in Britain. Mehedi Kazemi, 19, came to London to study English in 2005, but later discovered his boyfriend had been convicted of sodomy in Iran and hanged. An Iranian soldier, known only as BE, who deserted the military also won the right to stay in the UK. He had deserted rather than lay anti-personnel landmines. Gay equality organisation Stonewall welcomed the news that Kazemi may stay in Britain. "We are delighted and very grateful to Jacqui Smith for her intervention as Home Secretary [interior minister] and for the work that Simon Hughes, as the local MP, did on the case," said Ben Summerskill, chief executive of Stonewall. "We are also pleased that, answering questions in the House of Commons, the Foreign Office ministers have acknowledged the danger that gay people face in Iran." EU lawmakers at the European Parliament in Strasbourg called on Britain in March to look favourably on Kazemi's attempts to secure asylum, saying he would be executed if he were deported to Iran. The Iranian authorities "routinely imprison, torture and execute homosexuals," the lawmakers said in a resolution. That must be false, since iran doesn't have any homosexuals. Well, in any case, there is one less, now. |
| Posted by:anonymous5089 |
| #2 SUPER!! |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2008-05-21 17:27 |
| #1 There can't be any gay Iranians (against the religion); therefore no need for asylum. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2008-05-21 16:30 |