Abas Amini, a Kurdish refugee from Iran, has sewn shut his eyes, ears and mouth to protest Britain’s asylum policies. Amini came to Britain two years ago, after being imprisoned and tortured repeatedly, allegedly for his poetry and other writings criticizing Iran’s Islamic regime. Britain’s Home Office had appealed a court decision to grant him asylum, but Amini learned this week that the appeal had been rejected. He vowed to continue his hunger strike, which is now at nine days, to force the Home Office to review its asylum policies towards all refugees, including those from countries like Iran and Afghanistan. Doctors have said Amini could die if his strike goes on much longer.
