Two gay men who sought asylum in the US after being arrested for ‘homosexual conduct’ in Iran are facing possible execution if they are deported. The men, who are romantic partners, were initially arrested in 2021 in Iran until charges relating to homosexual activity. They escaped the country while awaiting their sentences, which could have included punishments ranging from flogging to the death penalty. They finally arrived in the US in 2025 to apply for asylum, but have been kept in detention for more than a year. Speaking to The Advocate, their attorney Rebekah Wolf said: “They are textbook asylum cases. People from a country where who they are is criminalized and punishable by torture or death – that is literally the definition of an asylum seeker.” Wolf explains that the men did not have legal representation at their asylum hearings. “These are incredibly straightforward cases,” she said. “But our immigration courts, when there aren’t other eyes – attorneys or otherwise – can b...