West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Published: 13 July 2007
Artist a victim of hypocrisy
• THE disgusting decision by the Home Office to refuse asylum to Behnam Askari and his mother highlights the nauseating hypocrisy of this government,particularly over the issue of Iran. On the one hand they seem prepared to support whatever measures (including a possible illegal military attack) the Americans wish to take against Iran on the basis of wholly false allegations that they are developing a military-nuclear capacity. Iran is not in breach of the non-proliferation treaty. Yet at the same time they stick to the view that Iran does not have a human rights problem – the only basis for the decision.
Iran, in fact, has one of the worst human rights problems on Earth and there are no grounds for sending anyone back there when they are certain to face imprisonment and torture.
The government must stop pandering to the anti-immigration brigade and honour its obligations under international law. ED McARTHUR
Theobalds Road, WC1
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