Mehdi Kazemi granted asylum

On Monday Mehdi Kazemi, the Iranian gay teenager threatened with deportation back to Iran (where his boyfriend was executed) was granted unconditional asylum in the United Kingdom.

This is clearly excellent news for all of those solidarity activists who campaigned against his deportation and against racist and homophobic immigration laws. It is a slap in the face to the homophobic Iranian regime.

Unfortunately, the government has not taken any broader stance in favour of the right to asylum for persecuted LGBT people. Commenting on Mehdi's case the Home Office stated "We keep cases under review where circumstances have changed, and it has been decided that Mr. Kazemi should be granted leave to remain in the UK based on the particular facts of this case".

We will continue to fight against all deportations and in favour of the right to asylum.

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150 at protest to defend Mehdi Kazemi

Over 150 people turned out on Saturday 22nd for a protest against the deportation of Iranian gay 19-year-old Mehdi Kazemi. Even though the Iranian regime has already executed his boyfriend, Mehdi is in limbo, with the Dutch government and the UK Home Office refusing to let him stay. The protest also highlighted the cases of Pegah Emambakhsh - an Iranian lesbian woman - and Jojo Yakob - a Syrian gay man - also under threat of deportation.

This turnout was particularly pleasing in that it came despite snowy weather and bitter cold. Dozens of activists came from outside London, including groups of students from Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester.

Speakers such as Sofie Buckland (NUS NEC and Feminist Fightback) and David Broder (Middle East Workers' Solidarity) highlighted the inherent racism of the immigration system and called for the abolition of borders. Similarly, demonstrators chanted slogans including "No borders, no nations, stop deportations!" and "Mehdi must stay!"

They furthermore pointed to the homophobia of people like George Galloway who call themselves left-wing but have refused to back Mehdi Kazemi, instead leaping to the defence of Iran's theocracy. Opposing war does not mean we have to whitewash the Iranian regime - the anti-war movement needs to be honest if it is to deserve support.

Other speakers at the demonstration opposite Downing Street included Peter Tatchell, Scott Cuthbertson (NUS LGBT), Chris Strafford (Hands Off the People of Iran) and Dave Landau (who advertised next Saturday's conference of trade unions against immigration controls)

Middle East Workers' Solidarity will continue to defend Middle Eastern asylum seekers from deportation and highlight the issue of immigration controls, as well as opposing war and supporting unions and social movements in the region.

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Mehdi Kazemi review

The UK government has announced that it is to review the case of Mehdi Kazemi, which offers hope for anti-deportation activists who have campaigned in defence of the young Iranian gay man.

However, the fight is not over. Mehdi is not yet safe, and neither is Pegah Emambakhsh, the Iranian lesbian woman threatened with deportation. Neither has the government sorted out the racist and homophobic immigration system which has repeatedly sent LGBT people and others back into perilous situations in their 'home' countries.

We will be demonstrating as planned at 2pm on March 22nd opposite Downing Street.

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George Galloway's comments on Mehdi Kazemi

Middle East Workers' Solidarity have called a demonstration for March 22nd in defence of Mehdi Kazemi, and support the international campaign against his deportation to Iran.

We were therefore extremely disappointed to hear today the comments of George Galloway MP on a Channel 5 talk show, playing down the homophobic nature of the Iranian regime and slandering Mehdi Kazemi's boyfriend. Among other comments, Galloway alleged that Mehdi's boyfriend had not been hanged because he was gay, but instead because of "sex crimes with young men".

Galloway went on to insinuate that those who defend Kazemi are adding to "propaganda against Iran", implying that they support a war drive against that country.

Galloway's claims are ill-informed and non-sensical, even beyond the obvious fact that Iran has repeatedly executed men for being gay, since "sodomy" is a capital offense, and does not even spare under-18s who commit this "crime".

It is also nonsense to claim that criticising the British government for planning to deport a man whose life is in danger in some way amounts to supporting its imperialist ambitions. Indeed, what activists including Middle East Workers' Solidarity campaigners are doing is highlighting the government's contempt for democracy and human rights.

Nor do we accept that opposing war and sanctions against Iran - which we do, wholeheartedly, since it can bring no progress - means whitewashing the Ahmedinejad regime and pretending that it is a bastion of democracy. The anti-war movement needs to tell the truth if it is to deserve to get a hearing. Opposing war is part of our solidarity effort, but not to the exclusion of our other principles.

The video of Galloway's comments is here

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New website for Mehdi Kazemi campaigners

There is a new website for the international campaign to defend Mehdi Kazemi, the young Iranian gay man who is being threatened with deportation back to Iran and execution.

The site is at www.medhikazemi.com

Yesterday a Dutch court decided to reject Mehdi's application for asylum, on the grounds that his case is a matter for the UK government to which he originally applied for asylum.

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