Iranians who sewed their lips reject pleas of friends

[DuctapeFatwa]

FRIENDS and supporters of three Iranians on hunger strike pleaded in vain with them yesterday to end their protest against having their asylum claims rejected. Faroq Haidari, 32, Fariborz Gravindi, 30, and Mokhtar Haydary, 34, sewed their lips together and promised to continue refusing food or drink until their cases are reconsidered by the government...based on recent Iranian court documents he obtained which show he is wanted by the Islamic state to answer political crimes.

Lying under blankets in a sweltering room in the south side of Glasgow, the three men, all Kurdish, listened as Mary Macfarlane, a pensioner who befriended Mr Haidari three years ago, begged them to abandon their protest.

The protest was sparked by Glasgow City Council's decision to evict the men, along with four other Iranian asylum seekers living in the house, by next Monday.
Speaking through his bound lips, Mr Haidari described the protest as their "last chance" to escape persecution in Iran.
He said: "Everybody knows that in Iran, you will go to prison, get tortured for ridiculous reasons.

A Home Office spokeswoman said it could not comment on individual cases but asylum seekers whose claims had failed would be expected to leave the country and could be forcibly removed.

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/10564.html