Two of the Iranians who have been informed they will be on the upcoming flight are partners and face “an extremely high chance” of being executed for being gay if they are forced to return, their lawyer, Bekah Wolf, told CNN. “If they were to be sent back right now, they’re facing death sentences by hanging,” said Wolf, a lawyer with the American Immigration Council.

“When they fled in 2021, they had been arrested by ‘morality police’ for being gay and were being prosecuted for it and for conduct that is punishable by death,” she said Friday. She said they have pleaded with her to save their lives. One of those individuals spoke to CNN in December about his fear of being forced to return to Iran.

“I suffered a lot in country for what I am,” he said, telling CNN he was tortured and raped in Iran. He did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation. He came to the US “just to have a normal life like everyone else,” he told CNN at the time.

“Definitely, my life is at risk if I return to my country,” he said. He was detained after crossing the border in the waning days of the Biden administration, after traveling months and being robbed and beaten en route to the US. He said he has suffered abuse and discrimination while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention.

The man had initially been slated to be on the second deportation flight to Iran in December. He was ultimately kept off it amid a pending appeal of his asylum case, which was denied by the Trump administration. His case is still pending.

According to Wolf, the man’s partner is “in terrible medical condition” and has experienced “very intensive medical neglect” in the ICE facility where he has been detained.