U.S. planning to deport gay Iranian men returning them to danger

Two gay Iranian men face deportation from the U.S. to Iran, where homosexuality is punishable by death.

Two gay Iranian men who fled persecution and sought asylum in the United States now face imminent deportation back to Iran, a country where homosexuality is criminalized and can be punishable by flogging, torture, or death, advocates warn.

Their attorney, Rebekah Wolf of the American Immigration Council, says the couple in their late 30s and early 40s were arrested in Iran in 2021 by morality police on charges of “homosexual conduct,” a crime that can lead to capital punishment under Iranian law. After their release, they fled and ultimately entered the U.S. to apply for asylum.

Despite this history, U.S. immigration authorities have denied their asylum applications and are preparing removal flights to Iran as soon as this weekend, according to legal representatives and reports. One federal court has temporarily halted the deportation of one of the men, but his partner may still be placed on the flight.

Human rights advocates warn that sending them back to Iran would almost certainly place them in grave danger. Iran is among a small number of countries that continue to apply the death penalty for consensual same-sex relations, a policy that international rights groups have repeatedly condemned.

The case has drawn condemnation from LGBTQI+ rights organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, which argues that returning asylum seekers to a country where their identities are criminalized violates basic human rights protections.

This development comes amid broader concerns about U.S. immigration policy and its treatment of vulnerable groups. Lawyers representing the asylum seekers note that deportations to Iran, long restricted by strained diplomatic relations, have resumed in recent months, increasing the risk for those currently in immigration detention.

Why local queer media matters and how you can help

For regions like the South Caucasus and Azerbaijan in particular, independent queer media is not a luxury — it’s a lifeline. Mainstream outlets often ignore or misrepresent queer experiences, while official sources exclude them altogether. This is where Minority Azerbaijan has become indispensable, producing investigative reporting, lived experience narratives, contextual analysis, and educational content in English and Azerbaijani.

If you value independent queer journalism grounded in lived realities, expert insight, and fearless reporting, consider supporting Minority Azerbaijan through Patreon. Subscriptions help fund in-depth articles, multimedia stories, community reporting, and advocacy journalism that would otherwise go untold. For €3 a month your support makes it possible for queer voices from Azerbaijan to be seen and heard especially in environments where visibility itself is risky.

Support independent LGBTQ+ media today — 

become a Minority Azerbaijan Patreon subscriber.

Powered by Froala Editor