by
Andy Harley
Special to PageOneQ via UKGayNews
A young gay Iranian in his mid-twenties is living under the threat of being deported from the United Kingdom back to Iran. Four years ago he escaped from his native country after coming within seconds of being caught by the Basij police who raided his boyfriend’s house while he was there.
He spoke to UK Gay News under conditions of strict anonymity.
The man – we will call him Ramin – now lives in England and is in fear of the British immigration system returning him to Iran where he could face imprisonment, or even execution.
Ramin is not an illegal immigrant. He is in the United Kingdom as an asylum seeker whose complex case is still “under consideration”.
But there is still the fear of deportation.
He realised he was gay at the age of 11 and admitted that, as a boy, he was “caught” with boyfriends in his early years.
ESCAPE FROM IRAN
Ramin was at his boyfriend’s house in 2001. At the time, he was a student in college.
The Basij police, the so-called “religious” police force founded 26 years ago by Ayatollah Khomeini, arrived at the house – in plain clothes. They knew that Ramin was gay. The Basji enforce the Iran’s strict Islamic codes.
“They are the worst kind of police,” he said. “I was so scared, and knew I had to do something very fast.”
Ramin literally fled for his life, escaping over the rooftops and going to a sympathetic uncle.
