News update

Mehdi is the cover story for The Independent:

"A gay teenager who sought sanctuary in Britain when his boyfriend was executed by the Iranian authorities now faces the same fate after losing his legal battle for asylum .. "

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I was pleased to read a series of 'Have your say' comments to The Independent stating that they were, like me, 'ashamed to be British. We can change awful policy like this in the UK, of that I'm proud, but not of those like Smith who've - knowingly - let others be sent to their deaths before Mehdi. Frankly, I'd like to know how they live with themselves.

Here's another comment from the Indie (note emphasis):

I am an immigration lawyer and recently represented a young gay Iranian man in his appeal against the refusal of his asylum claim. It was agreed by all parties - including the Home Office - that my client was gay and had been sexually active in Iran. And so we were faced with a debate before the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal whether there was a "reasonable likelihood" that this man will face persecution in a country where it is accepted gay men can be and are executed. Pretty high stakes. The finer points of legal debate aside, this is a plainly ridiculous discussion. The Home Office position of course is that my client can be homosexual 'on the quiet', something very close to the persecutory values of the Iranian authorities. We wait to see what the 'independent' AIT say on the matter.

Sky News blogs have comment which is pretty positive.

Sky News report: