A gay Iranian who studied in Hove fears he could be executed if he is deported back to the Middle East.

Mehdi Kazemi has been told by a Dutch court that he cannot claim asylum in the Netherlands, where he is currently living.

The 19-year-old is likely to be sent back to Britain, where it has already been ruled he should be deported to Iran.

The teenager moved to London to study English in 2005 but later discovered his boyfriend had been arrested by Iranian police, charged with sodomy and hanged.

Mr Kazemi enrolled on a course and attended the Embassy CES College in Hove the same year.

He applied for asylum in Britain, claiming he feared for his life if he was forced to return to Iran.

He fled to the Netherlands after the British authorities rejected his case last year.

According to his lawyer, Borg Palm, a Dutch court had ruled he could only claim asylum in Britain.

Mr Palm said: "The highest administrative court in Holland decided the IND, the equivalent of the British Home Office, was right to say England is responsible."

Mr Kazemi was told by his father in Tehran, the Iranian capital, that his boyfriend named him under interrogation before his execution in April 2006.

According to Iranian human rights campaigners, more than 4,000 gay men and women have been executed since the ayatollahs seized power in 1979.

Gay rights groups in Britain have condemned the British immigration officials' handling of Mr Kazemi's application for asylum.

Ben Summerskill, chief executive of Stonewall, which campaigns for lesbian, gay and bisexual equality, said: "We remain deeply disturbed by this case.

"There is evidence that lesbian and gay people face danger in Iran and we will be raising this once again with the Home Secretary."

Peter Tatchell, of campaign group OutRage, said: "Any attempt to return Mr Kazemi to Iran could put him at risk of execution."

Mr Kazemi is being supported in his asylum claim by his British MP, who said he would support the Iranian if he was returned to Britain.

Simon Hughes, Liberal Democrat MP for Southwark and Bermondsey, said: "My colleagues and I are hoping to persuade the Government to change its policy."

A Border and Immigration Agency spokeswoman said: "We examine each case with great care before removal.

We will not remove anyone who we believe is at risk on their return."