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'Go home and lie', court tells lesbian Iranian
Published: 28 Jun 12 11:28 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20120628-43435.html
A German court told a lesbian who had fled persecution in Iran, to go back and simply live discreetly and hide her sexuality. Iranian courts sentence lesbians to whippings and, in a fourth instance, death.
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She now has until the end of July to leave, Die Welt newspaper said on Thursday as the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees refused the 24-year-old asylum.
Danesh is appealing the decision after being told by the Bayreuth administrative court that “she was unable to make the danger she would face in Iran believable” and that she should return and live a “reserved lifestyle like other Iranian homosexuals.”
Yet in Iran, gay women are punished with 100 lashes – and can face the death penalty if convicted a fourth time.
It is common for homosexuals to flee the country, Iranian activist Katayun Pirawardi told the paper. “Those who can, escape to somewhere.”
“The judge in Bayreuth had doubts about her story of being prosecuted,” a spokesman told Die Welt. This means that if her appeal is rejected again, Danesh have to return this summer.
“Why would I make something like that up and have to leave my friends and family?” said Danesh.
A qualified architect, Danesh fled to Germany after a party she was at with other gay friends was raided by the country's secret police.
She managed to escape and hide in a neighbouring flat, but many of the young people who were caught, were taken away. It was the last time she saw her then long-term girlfriend.
Despite her appeal being rejected, Danesh's lawyer has re-applied for asylum and is hopeful that the media attention the case is receiving will act in her favour as after being “outed” in the German press, living secretly in Iran would become considerably more difficult.
The Local/jcw
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Your comments about this article:
My comment was made based on my belief they accepted her as a refugee and then changed their mind. I read the article again, and see this may not be the case.
@SchwabHallRocks: Who is to say she doesn't want kids? Lots of lesbians have kids... and they are always intentional kids to boot (If you are a man, I assume she will not be asking you for a donation...)
From holocaust deniers, to world-bank lovers/haters, to circumcision, to various types of asylum seekers... It's a real smorgasbord and more fun than the Sunday comics.
Obviously Germany cannot accept every asylum seeker... there are 1 BB chinese under totalitarian rule and probably another .5 BB arabs (Syrians, Lebanese, Algerians, Iranians, Egyptians probably again.) There simply is not enough living space for all of them in Germany.
I think you are fairly correct. Germany does tend to look out for Germany and their common good.
And, indeed, half of China would swarm in...
Perhaps the Judge also has his doubts on whether Hitler was a dictator.
On a more general concept, the idea of asylum, pretty much commonly held around the world, is that the seeker would be in danger if they returned to their homeland for something that is not considered a crime.
Using that criteria, Germany would be reasonably obligated to accept her plea, since being Lesbian is not a crime in much of the world (actions aside, simply being homosexual usually isn't) and it is a given she would likely be prosecuted...and executed...if she returns. Seems like the court is pretty intolerant in this case...telling someone to lie to stay alive. Would that "legal concept" fly in Germany?
wa
There are other EU countries more gay friendly than Germany, the Netherlands being #1 and Belgium #2, why wouldn't she make her case there.
There could be other factors here we are not aware of.
If you look at the comments that follow yours, it's plain to see that many Germans are not willing to do something just in the name of humanity (neither would terrorists).
If we let this desperate woman stay here, this doesn't mean all the gays from all over the world will come, too. This is just one case and no greencard for gays to overrun Germany.
Perhaps, it would be really better to look for another country with less hypocrites.
And another thing. According to the article she is a 'qualified architect'. What happened to the reports that the German authorities are desperate to fill hundreds of thousands empty jobs with qualified immigrants? I guess those 'hundreds of thousands empty jobs' were never actually real.
This is truly a modern day saga of one dark age group (the catholic church) way of dealing with another dark age group's (Iran) ideals.
It is a full on shame that this woman is caught in the middle of thier bigotry and ignorance...
"A person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.."
This is a definition of refugee according to the convention. As being gay is subject for persecution in Iran, then every single gay which can escape to Europe, should automatically be granted asylum. You don't like it or not, but this is the law, and Germany should respect it.
"@BobbyBaxter, actually Germany does have a responsibility for her welfare. "Backward" is one thing, but did you notice in this article that she could be executed simply for who she is?"
Ofcourse Germany has responsibility for her welfare. Everybody takes care of themselves. Her welfare is not only important for herself but also for all of Europe as she is the biggest economical power.
I don't really understand who could "execute" her? Does your sentence bear a symbolic meaning? She is after all one of the strongest players in world politics and has some serial military capacity.
I hope se makes a wise decision on this issue.