Iranian asylum seeker’s deportation delayed
A gay teenager who was due to be deported to the UK earlier this week is still in detention in Holland.
19-year-old Medhi Kazemi, who faces possible execution by stoning if he returns to Iran, fled for the Netherlands last year after his appeal for asylum in the UK was refused.
He is awaiting the ruling of Dutch court next Monday on whether he should be returned to the UK, who want to deport him to Iran.
“The challenge and legality under question and debate in the Dutch court is if he can or should be deported back to the UK under the Dublin Treaty,” said Omar Kuddus of gayasylum,org.
“There is affixed time limit of six months when another EU member state can request deportation under the treaty.
“Gayasylum has been informed (by Medhi’s uncle) that the request by the British government was made after this period had expired/ lapsed.
“It is hoped that the judge shall rule in Medhi’s favour for non deportation and that shall allow him to make a fresh claim for asylum in the Netherlands based on his sexuality.
“The Netherlands has already established that all Iranian/Kurdish homosexuals come under a ‘special group’ and do not have to prove their case individually for persecution due to their sexuality and are given asylum.”
Medhi left Iran in 2004 to travel to England on a student visa and continue his education.
While he was in the UK he learned that Iranian authorities had arrested his boyfriend Parham back in Iran, and that his boyfriend had been forced to name Medhi as someone with whom he had had a relationship.
Medhi’s father had then received a visit from the Tehran police, with an arrest warrant for his son.
In late April his uncle told him Parham had been put to death.
Medhi will have to be repatriated to his country of origin because according to the British government, he does not run any risk there.
He fled in secret from England, intending to take refuge in Canada, but was blocked by the German border police.
After hearing his story, he was sent to Holland, a country known for granting refugee status to Iranian homosexuals, and again handed over to the police.
However, the United Kingdom sent a formal request to Holland asking for Medhi’s return to Britain, in order to proceed with his deportation to Iran.
There is an on-line petition site with the details of the case click here has been established by UK-based gay asylum activist Omar Kuddus.
Omar is working in consultation with the boy’s uncle, who lives in the UK.
