Petrelis Files

London Times' Gay Iranian Hanging Sources Requested from UK Government

A story from London today about the British government's concerns regarding gay human rights abuses in Iran piqued my curiosity and I want to examine the same files the reporter did.

Since the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is not yet sharing the source files mentioned in the news today on their web site, I have filed a request with the FCO for the documents they gave to the paper.

This request to the UK government, after years of filing Freedom of Information Act requests with various U.S. federal agencies, is my first such request on the international front.

Got my fingers crossed that the information officers at the FCO quickly email me what I want.

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Information Rights Team
Information Management Group
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London

E-mail: dp-foi.img@fco.gov.uk

Dear Sir or Madam:

Under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act I hereby request copies of, or access to, all records recently released to the Times of London newspaper related to gays and lesbians in Iran and the matters of their executions and human rights violations.

On November 13 the London Times reported the following:

"Homosexuals deserve to be executed or tortured and possibly both, an Iranian leader told British MPs during a private meeting at a peace conference, The Times has learnt. [...]

"Britain regularly challenges Iran about its gay hangings, stonings and executions of adulterers and perceived moral criminals, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) papers show. [...]

"Under the Freedom of Information Act, the FCO released papers to The Times about the death penalty being used in Iran for homosexuality, adultery and sex outside marriage."

Click here and you can read the full Times story.

Please provide me with the entire files from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that were shared with Times of London editors and reporters that are referenced in the news account.

If at all possible, I would like the requested public records in their original electronic format(s) and sent to me via email transmission.

Unfortunately, the FCO has not seen fit to web-post what was released to the London Times. I spent this morning searching the FCO site and many of its web pages for these files, and they could not be found.

Along with the FCO search engine, I looked for the files at this URL of the FCO.

If the FCO has indeed web-posted the files, then kindly share with me the URL address for the documents.

I am further requesting a copy of the London Times' original Freedom of Information Act request that prompted the FCO to release the documents related to gay and lesbian human rights abuses and executions in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Should you have any questions or need clarification regarding my request, don't hesitate to contact me.

A prompt reply and acknowledgement of receipt of this letter is requested.

Sincerely yours,

Michael Petrelis

San Francisco, CA, USA