Gay Iranian refugee wins in Malaysia

Arsham Parsi

In December 22, 08 we call to action for Ali, an Iranian gay asylum seeker in Malaysia which you can find it on IRQR website in Queer Refugee page.

We have just been informed that United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kuala Lumpur has finalized Ali's case and officially recognized him as a refugee.

Ali was so excited and happy when he called us today morning. He said: "my hands are shivering now and I can not believe it." And he continued "I do not know how I should thank IRQR and all people who supported me"

This is wonderful news for Ali; for IRQR; and for supporters and allies of all queer refugees.

In just a few weeks, UNHCR received a multitude of emails urging quick action on Ali's case. This happy news is a testament to what international community support can help achieve.

We thank all who supported Ali by writing to UNHCR for their quick action and assistance. We also express great thanks to UNHCR for recognizing Ali and we have hope that the same will be done for other Iranian queer asylum seekers.

There are more Iranian queer refugees who are still in the lengthy and complicated process toward refugee status that need a great deal of support and assistance. We hope to have your continued support with these applicants, and will contact you in the near future for further action.