They’re Facing Death Sentences By Hanging” US Ignores Execution Risks, Deport LGBTQ Iranians: Report

According to a report by Times of Israel, on Friday January 23, 2026, Sunday could see the first deportation flight since anti-government protests broke out across the Islamic Republic.

As the United States prepares to send dozens of Iranians back to Iran. The returnees include a same-sex pair who are facing the death penalty.

According to American Immigration Council attorney Bekah Wolf, “They’re facing death sentences by hanging.” as reported by CNN.

The pair has already made it through being apprehended by the morality police in Iran and facing charges that carry the death penalty.

Wolf cautioned that the couple’s homosexuality alone gives them a “extremely high chance” of death. The crime of being in a relationship with someone of the same sex is punishable by death or flogging under Iranian law.

According to Human Rights Watch, Iran’s conservative interpretation of Islamic law has resulted in numerous killings of people convicted of homosexuality. Despite Trump’s threats against Iran over the country’s violent crackdown on demonstrators, deportations continue.

Despite his administration’s condemnation of Iran’s brutal assault on recent protests, it appears that sending vulnerable persons into that same oppressive system is not seen as a contradiction.

Same-sex intercourse is punishable by death by hanging according to Iran’s penal code. According to OutRight Action International, six people have been executed by the dictatorship since 1979 on the grounds of being homosexual.

Even in the absence of official legal processes, LGBTQ Iranians endure relentless harassment, torture, and honour killings. Attempts to get a comment from Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been unsuccessful.

The president’s office has stayed mum. Important concerns are brought up by the timing. Trump deported people into Iran’s danger while acting as an opponent of the regime’s harshness.

Judges in Iran have the ability to issue death penalties for same-sex activity, which is outlawed under Article 234 of the Islamic Penal Code. Human rights groups denounced the removal from the country.

When it comes to state-sanctioned violence and social antagonism, Iran is one of the most hazardous places for LGBTQ people in the world. The deportation flight is the American equivalent of a death sentence.

They escaped persecution, only to be brought back to the rope of the executioner. The tragic end to their lives highlights how far political rhetoric and policy reality differ.

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