[FREE IRAN Project] In The Spirit Of Cyrus The Great

[Why are British doing..?]

Execution threat for hunger strikers facing deportation
http://www.sundayherald.com/40451
By Neil Mackay, Home Affairs Editor

THE three Kurdish refugees who are on hunger strike in Glasgow in protest at their deportation to Iran are being expelled from the UK despite the Labour government’s policy of never deporting anyone to a country where they might face the death penalty.

The men – Faroq Haidari, Fariboz Gravindi and Mokhtar Haydary – are now on their 17th day of hunger strike. The three, who have sewn up their mouths, have all refused medical intervention.

They argue they were dissidents in Iran as they supported democratic reforms and a form of home rule for Kurds. Habib Kharabi, the uncle of hunger-striker Mokhtar Haydary, was executed by the regime for political activities.

The US routinely refers to Iran as part of the “Axis of Evil” and the Foreign Office has highlighted public executions, trials behind closed doors and the suppression of dissent in the country. A recent fundamentalist crackdown in Iran forced the fledgling reformist movement underground.

The Home Office has previously publicly stated that “the policy of this government is that the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, will not allow anyone to be deported who is knowingly going to face torture or the death penalty.”

Yet the Home Office said the men would be deported regardless of their protest.

SNP leader John Swinney said: “ There seems to be a direct danger to these men if they are sent back to their home country and this case is evidence that there are weaknesses in the current asylum system .”

Tom Harris, the Labour MP for Cathcart – the area where the three men are residing – says he is to fight for them to stay in the UK . Harris, who has visited the men, said: “I asked them to stop their hunger strike immediately.” He added: “Their case is not helped by what they are doing, in fact it is positively harming their case.”

Harris said the men had “ strong arguments to stay”, but the Home Office would not be able to take “an objective view” of the case because it would look like the government had been “strong-armed” into reversing its decision.

Harris has already written twice to the Home Office and spoken to ministers. “I’ve said, in my view, that due to the political deterioration in Iran, they should at least give them temporary leave to stay.”

Mike Watson, Labour MSP for Cathcart, said he was fully behind Harris. However, the Scottish Executive has refused to comment claiming immigration is a matter for Westminster .

Glasgow City Council, which is to evict the men, said it was legally bound to throw them out . A spokesman said: “I know this sounds cold and heartless given the situation, but this is our only course of action. We aren’t involved in the decision- making process. ”

The council is in discussion with the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) over what to do with the men – two of whom are barely conscious – when they are evicted.

news in focus: ‘SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO RISK DEATH TO LIVE …’