Iranians win refuge in US, Germany and UK

Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees (IRQR) has announced that Maryam, an Iranian lesbian who fled Iran to Turkey, has been assisted by IRQR and UNHCR to leave Turkey for a new life in the USA. Mohsen a 29 year-old Iranian gay man sheltering in Turkey has also been accepted as a refugee by Germany.

With the support of Pride London and Age Concern an Iranian gay man has been granted asylum in the UK

The Iranian man was a guest speaker at the Pride London Communities Liaison meeting Thursday January 21. He told them how his father had been arrested by the Iranian authorities and interrogated for hours about his son's actions in the UK. The young man was later branded a UK spy by the Iranian authorities and was sentenced to death in his absence.

He applied for asylum but was refused by the Home Office on the grounds that should he return to Iran he only needed to keep his head down and not show that he was gay. The Home Office also expressed doubts about his claim to have been branded a spy.

At a court hearing Friday January 22 the Judge decided half way through that this man had been treated unfairly and, according to Pride London "publicly told the Home Office that he is granted Asylum".

Pride London said, "this man would have faced imprisonment or even death if he had been sent back to Iran. We are delighted that our friend can now stay in the UK where he can express his sexuality and live his life free from prejudice and hate."