Petition to save the life of Kiana Firouz
Kiana Firouz, 27 years old, is an outspoken Iranian LGBT rights activist, filmmaker, and actress. When clips of her video documentary work featuring the struggle and persecution of gays and lesbians in her country were acquired by Iranian intelligence, agents began to follow Firouz around Tehran, harassing and intimidating her. She fled for England where she could safely continue her work and studies.
Firouz, understandably, has requested asylum from the British government. Much to everyone’s shock and dismay, the British Home Office has rejected her application for refugee status. Yes, they know she’s gay. Yes, they know she could be deported back to Iran at any time, and that if this happens, Firouz will most likely be sentenced to torture and death after being found guilty of the “unspeakable sin of homosexuality” because she has participated in explicit lesbian sex scenes in the movie, and been a fierce proponent for human rights in her country.
In Iran, the punishment for lesbianism involving mature consenting women consists of 100 lashes. This punishment can be applied up to three times. After a fourth violation of Iranian law, a woman convicted of “unrepentant homosexuality” is finally executed by hanging,
From Coilhouse
Please sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/kianaf/petition.html
or write to the Home Office on public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
More information here Everyone Group
She still has an appeal left (I think) so please sign the petition now and maybe we can change this decision.
Later Edit
A friend just did some digging and emailed me to say “are you sure this is legit, because I can’t find anything about it on any of the news channels or even the major GBLT websites.” I’ve gone away and Googled it some more, and find quite a few people saying that their contacts have mysteriously disappeared and they haven’t heard anything from Kiana or her supporters for a while and they’re getting worried. So now I’m starting to wonder if it’s some kind of publicity stunt for the woman’s new film. If so, that would be disgraceful. But it’s probably worth while signing the petition anyway, in case it is genuine.
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Done. It’s hard for those of us who live in forward-thinking countries like Canada and the UK to realise how much GLBT people suffer in other places. I hope this works out for her – please God, let justice be done.
Thank you! And yes, I have a certain amount of faith that my country won’t really go through with sending her back. Not, at least, if we can manage to persuade the government that the world is watching.