Union members have voted to support two refugees.

The Brighton and Hove branch of Unison is giving £300 to the campaigns for justice for Iranian asylum-seeker Amir Hassan and Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Deghayes.

Members voted at their AGM on Thursday to give £200 to help Amir Hassan's fight against deportation.

The journalist, now living in Lansdowne Place, Hove, fled Iran in December 2000 because he believed the authorities intended to torture and kill him.

The Home Office admitted mishandling his case after it tried to deport him last November but has rejected a third asylum application.

A further £100 will go to Save Omar, a group lobbying for the trial or release of Omar Deghayes, a 37-year-old man from Saltdean who has been imprisoned without charge at Guantanamo Bay for almost four years.

On Friday, Mr Deghayes' brother, Abubaker, spoke at a rally outside Liverpool Catholic Cathedral protesting against a visit by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

He called on Dr Rice to shut down Guantanamo Bay.

Local Muslim preacher Adam Kelwick told the crowd: "We want Condoleezza Rice to return to the US with a simple message: No more lies, no more deceit, no more deception, no more encouragement of illegal wars, illegal occupation and illegal oppression."

The protesters held a minute's silence for all the civilians and soldiers who have died as a result of the war in Iraq before marching the short distance to Liverpool Philharmonic Hall where Dr Rice was the guest of honour at a classical music concert.

Members of Save Omar also travelled to Blackburn to demonstrate against Dr Rice's visit.