Iran civil rights activist could face death penalty or 'honour killing' if deported from UK

An Iranian civil rights activist who is due to be deported from the UK tomorrow could face the death penalty and fears being murdered by her family in an "honour killing" if she is sent back to Iran, according to her British partner.

Bita Ghaedi, 34, fled Iran to the UK in 2005 to escape a forced marriage and in fear of her family discovering she had a secret lover. She has since spoken out against sharia law, forced marriage and human rights abuses in her homeland and has been filmed criticising the regime for TV channels widely available across the Middle East. She is currently in Yarl's Wood detention centre awaiting deportation, which is scheduled for 7pm tomorrow following the failure of a fresh asylum claim.

Her partner, Mohsen Zadshir, from Barnet, a member of the Iranian opposition who gained political asylum in 1999, said that if deported, her life is "finished".

Ghaedi has transgressed the strict traditional code under which Iranian women are supposed to adhere. Not only has she brought "shame" on her family by having a relationship with a man who was not her husband, but she has participated in the anti-government protests which have grown more vociferous after the disputed 2009 presidential election result. Each of these transgressions would be enough to put her life in danger if she is deported, according to Zadshir, a former Iranian politician who is now a British citizen.

Zadshir said: "Her life depends on a click on the internet. If they click on Iran, they can find out about her protests outside the Iranian embassy and her association with the PMOI (People's Mujahedin of Iran, which is opposed to the Iranian regime) and her photograph will be displayed. After the last election they announced that everyone who had any connection with the PMOI was 'mohareb' which means fighting against God and the sentence is death."

He said the Iranian government could arrest her immediately, because she had been out of the country without the permission of her husband or father. In Iran adultery is punishable by stoning and "honour killings" are common.

"If she wasn't arrested, she could be killed by her family in an honour killing," said Zadshir. "She has brought 'shame' on them by leaving her husband."

Ghaedi told IKWRO, a charity campaigning against honour killings among Kurdish and Iranian women: "It is frightful to live in Iran for any female. There is not any law, organisation or community which supports them and it is a nightmare for me to think about my father, brother and my husband. I am sure it is benevolent, advisable and godly for them to kill me if I won't be arrested."

Today her lawyer received a letter from the Home Office which states: "We do not accept that your client has provided any evidence to show that her life will be at risk on her return to Iran."

It argues that Ghaedi failed to bring up her part in anti-government protests until she was arrested and detained in May 2009, and concluded that the evidence submitted "did not provide any evidence to show that the Iranian authorities will have any interest in your client on her removal to Iran either because of her alleged adulterous relationship or because of her involvement in anti-regime protest."

It refers to a film which Ghaedi took part in about forced marriages which her lawyer argues will be shown on Al Jazeera and that will bring further "shame" on her family's honour, but it concludes: "However, no dates have been provided to show … that the programme will be published before Ms Ghaedi's removal."

Dave Vasoodaven, of solicitors Gulbenkian Andonian, said he found it incomprehensible that the Home Office has stated that Ghaedi is not at risk.

He said: "She has opposed the Iranian regime, she has spoken out about sharia law, and about forced marriage. We have a lot of evidence to show that the Iranian regime would by now know about her activities. As soon as she arrives she is going to be arrested. I do not foresee any result other than her death."

Vasoodaven has issued a high court injunction to halt her deportation and is awaiting the result.

In recent weeks many Iranians outside the country have reported receiving threats in person or by telephone.

Demonstrators at a protest against violations in Iran held in 2009 in the UK outside Amnesty International's offices told the organisation that unknown people whom they believed to be members of Iranian intelligence forces attended the protest and made threatening comments to some of them.

Iranians who have fled Iran since the election and are seeking asylum have also told Amnesty International that people they suspect to be Iranian security officials have approached them and made comments in Persian such as "Don't think you're safe here".

Source: The Guardian, May 6, 2010

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