NETHERLANDS. AUTHORITIES BLOCK MEHDI’S TRANSFER TO UK

February 26, 2008: the Dutch authorities blocked the transfer of gay Iranian youth Mehdi Kazemi to the UK, where he could have been deported to Iran to face trial.
Hands Off Cain, Non Violent Radical Party and Italian Radicals issued a statement regarding the Dutch authorities’ decision:
“We mobilised to prevent Mehdi’s deportation from the UK to Iran. Mehdi is a 19 year old gay Iranian youth, accused of “lavat” (sodomy) by the Iranian regime and who, because of this, risks being put to death like his partner, Parham, was in April 2006.
After yesterday’s demonstration and the initiatives of the European and Italian Parliaments, as well as the intervention of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, tonight the Dutch authorities, evidently in absence of guarantees from London, blocked the transfer of Mehdi to England. In the past few months, he was denied political asylum in England and from there he could be deported in a few days to Iran to face trial.
We will continue to closely follow this event in coordination with the Everyone Group, who have followed this case from the beginning. We will immediately make contact with the Dutch authorities to guarantee that after this first important gesture, the right of asylum is guaranteed to Mehdi and to all those who, like him, are persecuted for their sexual orientation and for this even risk being put to death, tortured or persecuted.” (Sources: radicali.it, 26/02/2008)