PHILADELPHIA, April 4, 2008  –  Equality Forum, a US headquartered national and international GLBT civil rights organization, called on Presidential candidates Clinton, McCain and Obama to send letters to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to revoke the deportation orders for the return of gays and lesbians in the UK to Iran.

The UK last year issued a deportation order for 19-year-old Iranian Mehdi Kazemi to his homeland where he faces likely execution for being gay.

Deportation was ordered after his student visa expired and Kazemi lost his appeal.

“Equality Forum calls on Senators Clinton, McCain and Obama to send letters to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown opposing the deportation of Kazemi and other gay and lesbian Iranians in the UK to Iran,” Malcolm Lazin, executive director of Equality Forum said yesterday.

“The Kazemi deportation is an opportunity for the presidential candidates to affirm their administration's commitment to a policy opposing human rights deportations.”

Mr. Kazemi arrived in Britain in 2005 on a student visa.  His boyfriend, Parham, who was the same age, was arrested, tortured, and executed by the Islamic Republic of Iran and he fears arrest, torture and execution if he is returned to Iran.

The young man has two uncles who have lived in England for 30 years and have been British citizens for 20 years.

After losing his appeal of the deportation, Mr. Kazemi fled the UK and is currently in the Netherlands, where he was detained as an illegal immigrant.  A Dutch court has ordered Kazemi returned to the UK.

Last month, the European Parliament issued a resolution citing the expulsion of persons to a country where they would risk persecution, torture, and death, as a violation of European and international human rights obligations.

There are thought to be no fewer than 12 gay and lesbian Iranians living in the UK who are at risk of deportation including a lesbian, Pegah Emambakhsh and “Ramin” who is awaiting the result of a final appeal (original article on plight, from March 2006, is HERE). .

Ms. Emambakhsh became a UK refugee after her partner in Iran was arrested, tortured, and sentenced to death by stoning.  Like Kazemi, Ms. Emambakhsh lost her UK deportation appeal.

■ Unconfirmed reports from the Netherlands suggest that Mehdi Kazemi could be returned to UK in a matter of days.

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Posted: 4 April 2008 at 00:30 (UK time)