Hello Freedomphiles!  See that horrible picture above?  Those are some of the homosexuals that Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says don’t exist.  I guess that’s how he knows - he’s killing all of them - including the boyfriend of nineteen year-old Mehdi Kazemi, whose life is right this moment in the hands of British authorities.  The Independent reports:

More than 60 peers have signed a letter to the Home Secretary urging the Government to halt the deportation of a gay Iranian teenager who faces execution if he is returned to his homeland.

Mehdi Kazemi, 19, has lost his claim for asylum in Britain, even though his family has told the Home Office that his life is in danger after his former boyfriend in Iran was arrested and hanged for sodomy. The case has now attracted worldwide attention and, last night, 63 members of the House of Lords signed a letter to Jacqui Smith calling on the Government to show compassion and to grant Mr Kazemi sanctuary in Britain.

Among those pressing the Government to help Mr Kazemi are Lord Woolf, the former lord chief justice; Betty Boothroyd, the former speaker of the House of Commons; and Shirley Williams, Julia Neuberger, Paddy Ashdown, David Steel, Lord Lester QC and the Bishop of Liverpool, as well as a number of senior Labour peers.

In the letter, the peers say: "We members of the House of Lords are deeply concerned at the possible execution of Mehdi Kazemi if he is refused asylum in the UK and is deported to Iran. His former partner has been executed there. We urge Her Majesty’s Government to show compassion and allow Mr Kazemi to have a safe haven in the UK."

I sincerely hope that they do the right thing.  If you want to add your voice to the mercy chorus, you can contact Jacqui Smith at 020 7035 4848, and if you’d like to be more help, check out the non-profit human rights group, Iranian Queer Organization.

UPDATE: Jacqui Smith has offered temporary asylum to the young man, pending a full investigation.  Thanks to Haakon for the info.