LGBTQ+ Activist Flees Iran After Release on Bail

An Iranian female LGBTQ+ activist arrived safely in an undisclosed country after her release from prison on bail following the cancellation of her death sentence.

Zahra Sedighi-Hamedani, known as Sareh, “expresses her gratitude to all LGBT+ activists who accompanied her on this difficult journey to freedom.” the Germany-based Iranian LGBTQ+ rights group 6Rang said in a statement on December 1.

“She congratulates the LGBT+ community, activists and the global community who supported the #FreeSareh campaign,” it added.

Sareh, who had been publicly advocating for her sexual identity on social media, was arrested by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in late 2021 while attempting to cross into Turkey to seek asylum.

Amnesty International said that Sareh was arbitrarily detained due to her sexual orientation, real or assumed gender identity, and her posts and statements on social media in defense of the Iranian LGBTQ+ community.

Last year, Sareh was sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court of Urmia on charges of “corruption on Earth.” 

The ruling was strongly condemned by United Nations experts who called on Iranian authorities to grant a stay of execution and annul the sentence “as soon as possible.”

The death sentence was overturned in December 2022, leading to Sareh’s release on heavy bail in March of this year.

“Sareh’s freedom and safety are a significant victory for the LGBT+ movement in Iran,” 6Rang said. “This victory demonstrates that we should never surrender to inhumane rulings and should make every effort to resist the violation of our rights.”

“We are proud that all the efforts made by the Iranian LGBT+ community, along with the global community, have achieved the goal, and Sareh can now live in a free and democratic country with her children,” the group added.

Homosexuality is illegal in Iran and is among crimes like sodomy, rape, adultery, armed robbery and murder that can lead to the death penalty. The Islamic Republic is considered to be one of the most repressive places in the world for LGBTQ+ people.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has described homosexuality as part of a “moral deprivation” widespread in western civilisation.