News today that Pegah Emambakhsh - the Iranian lesbian threatened by my government with deportation to torture and possible death - has been released from Yarls Wood Detention Centre.
The Friends of Pegah Campaign in Sheffield said last night:
The Court of Appeal have also agreed to hear her case. It will be listed within the next couple of weeks and will be heard sometime in the next few months, we believe.It is very sad but true that if the international gay community and refugee supporters in Sheffield hadn't lobbied and embarrassed embassy officials and roped in foreign politicians that woman would be back in a Tehran jail having electrodes applied to her followed by rape followed by the noose. That's what Britain would have done and it's shameful.
There are also other actions that we know are being taken on her behalf, by influential organisations at a high level in the UK.
We really don't think that we would have got this far without the fantastic work you have put in supporting Pegah. She is truly grateful and gives her heartfelt thanks to you all - as do we. It is impossible to overstate the value of your support.
This does not mean that Pegah is out of the woods but she is now in a much more hopeful position.
As you will understand Pegah needs time to recover from the ordeal of the past few weeks. She also needs to get back in touch with the ordinary business of living her life in some peace and tranquility.
It is worth noting that despite a lot of coverage in the gay and Italian and other international media of the case, only The Guardian - with a single story reporting the storm of support for Pegah in Italy - and the Sheffield local paper has reported about Pegah.
Paul,
ReplyDeleteyou're so right. It is so easy for heteros like myself to simply not be aware of these issues that I wonder whether there's a hidden agenda to bury gay issues.
On the bright side though, Jim Davidson's idea of revitalising his career through appearing on Hell's Kitchen appears to have backfired somewhat.
Can't say I didn't grin a bit at what I perceived as his rather publicly humiliating exit.
cheers Jack.
ReplyDeletei think people would rather not know the outcome of all the refugee backlash - sending people to their deaths. people don't like it when they're aware - so they'd rather not be aware.
I hear her, and her obvious potential, and I know a women like her in my town. I just can't understand how this happens - except for people turning away.
I can just gimpse what life for people like her is like in iran and it's exactly like berlin in the 30s.
we are lucky to have been born here.