Cyprus grant of residence to gay Iranian refugee welcomed
Commenting on the case of Abbas Bagherian, the Iranian gay asylum seeker who sought refuge in Cyprus, Liberal Democrat justice and human rights spokeswoman Sarah Ludford MEP welcomed the decision of the Cyprus Minister of the Interior to grant him resident status. She said: "I strongly welcome the decision to allow Mr Bagherian to remain in Cyprus, since a rejection of his application and his return to Iran would have left him vulnerable to imprisonment, torture and in the worst case the death penalty, simply for being gay."
26 Nov 2008
