Court Says Gay Lebanese Shouldn’t Be Deported
A gay Lebanese man with AIDS has enough reason to fear persecution in his native country that he shouldn’t be deported while he is seeking asylum in the United States, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found that Nassier Mustapha Karouni’s fear of being arrested, tortured or killed in a country where homosexuality is considered a crime was based in fact, not just emotion.
The court rejected the Justice Department’s argument that Karouni could avoid the fate of gay friends who were beaten, jailed or killed if he refrained from sexual relations upon his return home.
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