A homeless Iranian asylum seeker has sewn his lips together and threatened to die on the streets of London.
Abdul Rahim Dehdozorgi, 34, has been on hunger strike for 23 days and is only taking a small amount of juice. He is protesting about what he says is the persecution of Christians in Iran.
He is living in a tent in Exmouth Market in Clerkenwell, opposite the offices of Amnesty International.
Before taking the drastic action, Mr Dehdozorgi said: “If I go back to Iran they will kill me. I want someone to help me, Amnesty International or the Home Office. I have been homeless for three years, I haven’t seen my wife or child for all of that time.
“Everyone needs to realise there is a problem, not just for me but for all Christians in Iran. I will stay here until I die if I have to.” Mr Dehdozorgi is understood to have applied for asylum and has legal representation.
A spokesman for Amnesty International said staff had been to talk to him to see if they could offer humanitarian assistance but could not intervene in the asylum process.
