Strasbourg, 17/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 13 March in Strasbourg, MEPs expressed concern about the fate of Seyed Mehdi Kazemi, a 10-year-old gay Iranian citizen, who is seeking, in vain, to gain asylum in the United Kingdom. In a common resolution submitted by four political groups (PES, ALDE, Greens/EFA, GUE/NGL), adopted by 46 votes to 2 and 12 abstentions, the EP calls on the member states concerned to find a common solution to ensure that Mehdi Kazemi is granted asylum or protection on EU soil and is not sent back to Iran “where he could be tortured and even executed”. The EP stresses that the Iranian authorities routinely incarcerate, torture and execute homosexuals, and specifies that Kazemi's companion has already been executed. (L.C.)