Petrelis Files

Rome Protest Pics, Videos for Iranian Lesbian; Pegah's Italian Interview

The Pegah news from Rome this afternoon is that the youth-wing leaders of several Italian gay groups, Gruppo EveryOne, Arcigay and Arcilesbica, staged a well-attended and noisy demonstration at the British embassy today, with big rainbow flags blowing in the wind and activists holding posters of Pegah's image and demands that she be granted asylum.

Several videos from the truly inspiring Rome demonstration can be viewed at the Radio Radicale web site. Click here to see them.

Looking at the videos of the Italian gay and human rights activists protesting to the UK government, speaking out for Pegah's need for asylum and making a beautiful public display of much-needed advocacy for global LGBT citizens everywhere makes me very happy over the Rome action, and proud to be part of international network organizing solidarity with Pegah.

(The RomPres news agency was at the demonstration and released these photos afterward. Caption: Deputy of Italian Party 'Sinistra Democratica' Franco Grillini holds an image of Iranian Pegah Emembakhsh, in Rome, Italy, on 27 August 2007. Italian MPs and gay rights' groups stepped up a campaign on Monday to save Emembakhsh, being held in Britain whom they say will be stoned to death if she is deported by the British government. Some 50 campaigners took part in a protest outside the British Embassy in Rome while Environment Minister and Green party chief Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio - who is openly bisexual - said he would meet with British Ambassador Edward Chaplin on Tuesday to discuss the case of Pegah Emambakhsh.)

And finally today, Pegah granted an interview with the La Repubblica newspaper, which was translated using Google, so the English is rough, but you get the importance of her words.

From La Repubblica:

Pegah Emambakhsh has fear. It knows that esporsi, to tell its history can cost them the life. It has made in front of a judge and it has not been believed. To still repeat because it does not want to return in Iran means to travel over again a terrifying experience: the escape, a wait of two years, the dream of being able living in the light of the sun its omosessualità and the prison and the terror to then re-enter in its Country where it has left two sons, been born from an arranged wedding, and one similar, that it has been arrested, tortured and condemned to the lapidazione.

Pegah is tired. From 13 August it is locked up in the center of detainment of Yarls Wood close to Sheffield, where the life has tried to remove itself. It is tired, but in these days it has recommenced to hope that to the end, next tuesday, it will not take that flight of the British directed Airways to Tehran. From two alive years suspended between desire of living in a free Country and the fear of having to return in Iran. How it has lived, up to now, this wait?

"They are tired. To the beginning I was full of hope, even if was taken care for my father and my sons lacked me. I knew that United Kingdom is a opened Country, a country that receives all. Therefore I have decided to come here and I have asked asylum. To Sheffield I have found also of the friends who have helped me. Every a lot seemed that all it went for the best and that my question would have been received and every a lot said to me, instead, that the Home Office had not believed to me and that they would have forced to me to return in Iran. In those moments I would have intentional to be died ".

According to she, because they have not believed it?

"I do not know it. They are escaped because they are a lesbian woman, because I was myself in love of an other woman and was more and more difficult to hide to us. Then it has been arrested. I found in its same condition, if me never I would not have gone any, because they are a lot tied to my earth and I want much good to my sons. Perhaps they wanted of the tests, but I do not know that tests I could have carried ".

It has had news of its companion, after the arrest?

"Yes. It has been interrogated and condemned to the lapidazione, because they have judged it one immoral woman. It makes still much evil to speak me about she ".

On its case a movement has been created: many persons them are near, suffer with she, protest, send letters to the Home Office, to the governors, the embassies. They ask United Kingdom to grant them the asylum because it is a its right. This helps it to feel itself less single?

"Yes, these voices help to still hope me. From when they have capacity to me to Yarls Wood, I have not made that to think the dead women. I did not have more faith and I wished to also die not to return in Iran where something waited for me who is the much most ugly one, the much most painful one of the dead women. I believe in the goodness of God and to a sure point it is happened a miracle. "Pegah", has said a day to the telephone a friend to me, "all the world is speaking about you is been born a movement that asks to save the life to you. Your name is on newspapers, in Internet, is on the mouth of all ".

Hour many persons are interested me, also a member of the English Parliament. I not only have uncovered of having friends between the English movements for the rights of the homosexuals, but also in Italy. The person who follows to me and helps me here to Sheffield has created a name for these persons: Friends of Pegah Campaign ".

In Iran the homosexuals are forced to hide because if discoveries come, risk the torture, the pain of the one hundred lashes and, if they are "recidivi", the lapidazione or the hanging. Gay and the lesbian Iranians follow its case with trepidation and they consider it a symbol. Which test, thinking next to they?

"Worry, anguish. I only hope that the things change, than the laws change ".

It has a message for the authorities that can decide if to grant asylum to it shelters to you homosexual? "Saved their lives".

It has been condemned because of its way to love, only because it is various from that one of the majority. And it has had the courage to say it to all the world, that it represents for she the love?

"It is the more important thing. Thanks to the love the greater part of the men and the women create a family and realize the own life. It has been the love to guide my life and any thing happens to me, will be the love to guide to me ".

If its vicissitude will be concluded happily and its rights are recognized, it has already thought next to the future, to which dreams would want to realize?

"I want to walk in means to people, without to watch me to the shoulders and to repeat within of me: "They are free" ".