We request your assistance with an urgent case involving Mehdi N., a 29-year-old gay Iranian who seeks asylum in Germany. Mehdi N. escaped from Iran at the beginning of 2007 due to his well-known fear of persecution on the basis of his sexual orientation. He stayed in Istanbul, Turkey for six months, but was unaware of his ability to apply for refugee status with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Turkey. At that time, he was also uninformed about the existence of the Iranian Queer Railroad and our ability to support him.
Mehdi N. was lonely in Turkey. His biggest fear was that Turkish police would arrest him and deport him back to Iran. Eventually, someone took him to Germany where he sought to claim asylum.
Mehdi N. should be granted refugee status by the German government, because upon his forced return to Iran, he will face imprisonment, torture, and even execution. On February 10, 2009, the European Commission affirmed that persecution on the grounds of sexual orientation is a legitimate justification for an asylum claim. The Commission has confirmed that there is “an obligation on Member States to grant refugee status to persons who are found to have a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of membership of a particular social group, including a group based on a common characteristic of sexual orientation.”
Send your letters to:
BMI – Federal Minister of the Interior Mr. Wolfgang Schäuble
Address: Alt Moabit 101 D10559 Berlin
Phone: +49 3018 681-0
Fax: +49 3018 681-2926
Email: poststelle@bmi.bund.de
BMJ – Federal Minister of Justice Ms. Brigitte Zypries:
Address: Mohrenstraße 3710117 Berlin
Phone: +49 1888 580-0
Fax: +49 1888 580-9525
Email: poststelle@bmj.bund.de
European Justice & Human Rights Spokeswoman Ms. Sarah Ludford:
European Parliament, Brussels
Phone: +3222847104
Fax: + 3222849104
Email: sarah.ludford@europarl.europa.eu
Please CC IRQR info@irqr.net for tracking purposes. Thank you for your support.
Crossposted from LGBT Asylum News.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Germany threatens to deport Mehdi N. to Iran
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
1 comment:
The way how the society is able to deal with "different ones"(in any meaning, homosexuals, ethnic minorities, even woman) shows the development of that particular society. The more "different ones" are able to live normal life, the greater gain whole society will be given. Because if these people are somehow excluded, it is the lost human potential, definitely the most important feature in development of state. Because of that, it is very good that "different ones" have generally good possibilities to integrate in Europe and North America. This makes us stronger! And even more philanthropic.
Take care, Jay.
Post a Comment