Gay Iranian fights deportation move

Mehdi Kazemi, 19, came to London to study English in 2005 but later discovered that his boyfriend had been arrested by the Iranian police, charged with sodomy and hanged.

Mr Kazemi was told by his father in Tehran that his boyfriend had been questioned about his sexual relationships before his execution in April 2006 and named him under interrogation.

Mr Kazemi claimed asylum in Britain, fearing for his life if he returned to Iran.

His case was refused late last year so he fled Britain for the Netherlands where he is now being detained.

He appeared before a Dutch court to fight his return to Britain, where he fears authorities will send him back to Iran.

In a letter to the British Government, Mr Kazemi told Home Secretary Jacqui Smith: "I wish to inform the Secretary of State that I did not come to the UK to claim asylum. I came here to study and return to my country.

"But in the past few months my situation back home has changed. The Iranian authorities have found out that I am a homosexual and they are looking for me. If I return to Iran I will be arrested and executed like my former boyfriend."

Peter Tatchell, of the gay rights campaign group Outrage, who described the Government stance as "shameful" said a Dutch appeal court was expected to decide soon whether to grant him permission to apply for asylum in Holland or send him back to Britain.

A Home Office spokeswoman said it did not comment on individual cases, but if an application is refused there is a right of appeal to an independent judge.