Hot Potato with Gay Iranian

A gay Iranian, Mehdi Kazemi, applied for asylum in the United Kingdom and was rejected, setting in motion the wheels to have him sent back to Iran. Before that could happen, though, Kazemi skipped to the Netherlands.

Britain denied the asylum request because authorities had no actual proof that homosexuals are being persecuted in Iran. In fact, President Ahmadinejad said there are no homosexuals in Iran, therefore, none could be persecuted.

Nonetheless, the Dutch authorities don't want to send Kazemi back to Britain because they would send him to Iran. Meanwhile, the Dutch are unable to offer asylum since EU rules specify that only one asylum application in one European country is allowed. As a consequence, the Dutch have asked the British authorities to reconsider Kazemi's case.

So, it's hot potato with the gay Iranian. Britain rejected him, the Dutch want him but can't grant asylum due to EU rules. And, keeping gay Iranians in the lurch will be the norm until verifiable information is available that Iran is, in fact, executing gay people for their homosexuality.

In an update to the story, British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced that 19-year-old Kazemi's case will be reconsidered.