A rapist who was battling against deportation can stay in Britain after a judge ruled he could be persecuted in his native Iran. The man’s appeal was granted despite him reportedly lying about working for MI5 during the process.
Identified only as XX, the man was sentenced to seven years in jail in 2001 after a woman was raped in London.
The Government wanted to deport him after he served his jail sentence, but he appealed against it.
During the appeals process, the man claimed to have worked with Britain’s security service, according to The Sun.
He claimed MI5 approached him because he mixed in circles linked to Iran’s embassy in London.
The same publication reports the man feared the death penalty in Iran due to officials in the Islamic Republic knowing about his conviction for rape.
He also argued that he has been an open critic of the regime in Iran.
An immigration appeals tribunal heard how the man had arrived in Britain as a student in 1992.
He was arrested in October 2000 and convicted a year later with a deportation order issued in 2005.
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The Sun reports that immigration papers note that the man has not shown “any indication” of insight into how his crime affected the woman.
He has also not taken part in any courses aimed at rehabilitation.
The security services refused to deny or confirm the man’s claim.
Judge John Keith ruled he could remain on human rights grounds in part due to the concern around his being persecuted for his crime.
The judge also said there was evidence XX had been a critic of the Iranian regime.
He said knowledge of that by the authorities in Iran meant there was a “real risk of interrogation and extensive detention”.
