An openly gay Liberian football player seeking asylum in Sweden was reportedly seized by immigration authorities while he attended Stockholm Pride last month, and now he's in danger of being deported back to a country where homosexuality is persecuted and punishable by imprisonment.

The Scotsman reports 22-year-old Andrew Nagbe originally traveled to Sweden to play football professionally, and has since played on third and fourth-tier teams while living in a city known for its refugee population.

He was reportedly taking part in Pride festivities with his boyfriend on the day he was arrested.

"I want to play football and live as an openly gay man in Sweden," Nagbe reportedly told the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter from detention, saying he fears he'll suffer abuse if he's returned back to Liberia.

"In prison I’ll be beaten and raped every day until I am released and leave the country again. Everyone I know in Liberia knows I am gay now, so they won’t hold back," said Nagbe.

The paper added that Swedish migration officials "maintain that Nagbe’s claims to be both gay and that he would have his safety compromised if he returns home are not verifiable."

English football is by far the most tolerant of LGBT players, as the sport boasts 10 openly gay men and women in professional leagues around the world, the highest number of any major sporting organization.

Sweden is home to one— 25-year-old Anton Hysén, who came out as gay in 2011 and now plays for the Swedish team Torslanda IK.

For more on international LGBT issues, visit Logo’s Global Ally site.

h/t Towleroad