BIRMINGHAM, April 8, 2008  –  A series of high level meetings with senior members of the Home Office as been arranged by MEP Michael Cashman (West Midlands, Labour - PES), President of the European Parliament´s Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights, to discuss the case of Mehdi Kazemi who was retuned to the UK last Friday from the Netherlands.

“I trust that the UK government will do the right thing in relation to Mehdi,” Mr. Cashman said this morning.

Mehdi Kazemi is the 19 years old gay Iranian citizen whose asylum request was turned down by the United Kingdom.

After fearing for his life, he fled to Netherlands and sought asylum there.  Following EU rules (Dublin Regulation) he was sent back to the UK, the Member State where he first applied for asylum.

On March 13, the European Parliament voted in favour of a resolution appealing to the Member States involved to find a common solution to ensure that Mehdi Kazemi is granted asylum or protection on EU soil and not sent back to Iran.

If deported to Iran, he risks persecution, torture and death as the Iranian authorities have already executed his partner on the sole basis of his homosexuality.

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Mehdi, the Gay Iranian Teen Who Faces Deportation, Back in UK. Mehdi Kazemi, the 19 years old gay Iranian being detained by the authorities in  the Netherlands, was returned to UK earlier today. (UK Gay News, April 4, 2008)