Vahid, the iranian gay refugee is free!

By Gruppo EveryOne

He is now with his partner in Rome. Reassurances from the Chairman of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Gianfranco Fini and from the Farnesina (Italian Government's Foreign Affairs) about his humanitarian protection.

EveryOne Group: “The case reaches a positive conclusion, thanks to the activism and the political intervention of democratic forces”.

Rome, 27 June, 2009. Vahid Kiani Motlagh, the 32-year-old Iranian gay refugee who faced deportation in the next few days, was transferred yesterday morning from the Saint-Exupery (Lyons) detention centre in France to Fiumicino airport, in Rome, Italy, on the grounds of the Dublin Convention and the Dublin II Directive. He was released in the afternoon by Italian Police.

“The Chairman of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Gianfranco Fini has personally taken an interest in the case after EveryOne Group's appeal, activating diplomacy policy with the Italian Foreign Affairs Minister, Franco Frattini, and the Farnesina, who reassured us that everyone is working on Vahid's case: Vahid will not be deported back to Iran and will soon obtain humanitarian protection and refugee status in Italy” announced Roberto Malini, Matteo Pegoraro and Dario Picciau, co-presidents of the international human rights organization.

“It has been a difficult campaign,” continue the activists “which we followed step by step, through diplomacy with the French and Italian institutions and authorities, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and the European Parliament - thanks to the Italian official, Ottavio Marzocchi, member of the Radical association Certi Diritti, who worked together with us to save Vahid's life.

EveryOne Group, together with Vahid and his partner Patrick, has sent a message of thanks to the Radical association “Certi Diritti” and the Massimo Consoli Foundation in Rome; to Gianfranco Fini and his political advisor Alessandro Cortese; to Arcigay Rome, which is now following Vahid's humanitarian protection's instances; to MPs Concia and Della Vedova; MEPs Lambert, Romeva, Cashman, In´t Veld, Lunacek, Gröner; to Dirk De Marileir, ILGA-Europe Director; to the Italian Republican Party and to the Italian young Jews' movement, who asked the Italian Government to respect Vahid's rights; to the journalist of the La Repubblica newspaper, Mr. Giampaolo Cadalanu; to LGBT blogs and websites for their interest in the case; to Arcilesbica Rome, Azione Trans, GayNet and the international human rights organizations network who cooperated on the case.


Source: everyonegroup