UAL student faces deportation to Iran

by Colin Robertson

A Central St Martins student is facing deportation to Iran amidst a high profile campaign by his friends and supporters to keep him in the UK.

BA Fine Arts student, Behnam Askari, 22, and his mother face charges of 'jeopardising Iran's national security' and 'having contributed in the coordination of operations against Iran's national security' after two students were arrested in the Askari family home in Tehran, and accused of printing and distributing anti-regime literature.

The two students, who were school friends of Behnam, were arrested in 2005.

Pauline Levis, coordinator of the Behman and Family Must Stay Campaign, says that the student and his mother face deportation to prison, torture and likely death if they and his younger brother, 18, are not granted asylum in the UK.

The family's first application for asylum was turned down on grounds of credibility. Their subsequent appeal was also refused.

After a painstaking investigation, it has been discovered that the original application suffered as a result of serious malpractice of their then legal representative.

Levis explains: "He, amongst other things, posed as a solicitor but was not qualified. He has since been banned from the legal field".

A fresh application, under a highly reputable solicitor was made in 2008 and is awaiting decision.

The campaign to help Behnam and his family gain asylum includes a petition which has now received more than 11,000 signatures and is still growing.

High profile names such as fashion designer Nicole Farhi, comedian Rory Bremner, Eva Schloss (Anne Frank's step-sister) and many others have joined the campaign.

Levis told Arts London News: "We have had a number of meetings with the MP, Glenda Jackson. She has stated that she can only make representations to the minister once a decision has been made. As there is still a fresh application pending, she is unlikely to act at this stage. We do, however, intend to meet with her again in the near future."

Behnam is an award-winning artist, with his latest exhibition entitled "Where is their vote?" inspired by the courage of protesters in Iran following the presidential election in 2009.

Much of Behnam's artwork reflects his open-minded approach to politics and religion and his strong opposition to the current theocratic regime in Iran.

This, alone, would place him in great danger in today's Iran if he were forced to return.

Anyone wishing to join, find out more about the Behnam and Family Must Stay Campaign or sign the petition should visit http://tinyurl.com/SaveBehnam.