As Murray Hill pines away for Penelope Cruz, gay Iranian exiles in Europe are pining away for asylum. Despite accounts of torture and execution for homosexuality, a number of European nations may soon begin deporting gay Iranians back to their homeland. While Sweden started the ball rolling last month, the Netherlands may soon lift the respite deportation. Pink News UK reports:

In February 2006, Dutch Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk [pictured, look quite shifty] first declared her intention to end the moratorium, stating that “It appears that there are no cases of an execution on the basis of the sole fact that someone is homosexual. ... For homosexual men and women it is not totally impossible to function in society, although they should be wary of coming out of the closet too openly.”

Giving into protests, Verdonk maintained the postponement for further review. Well, that review's almost over and gay Iranians are itching with morbid anticipation. Quite frankly, we are, too.