A RUSSIAN asylum seeker and her eight-month-old baby girl have won their battle to stay in London. Singer songwriter Zhanna Andrianova, who records under the name Jahna Sebastian, has been living in Tufnell Park while fighting against deportation to Russi

A RUSSIAN asylum seeker and her eight-month-old baby girl have won their battle to stay in London.

Singer songwriter Zhanna Andrianova, who records under the name Jahna Sebastian, has been living in Tufnell Park while fighting against deportation to Russia where she says she will be at the mercy of racist neo-Nazi thugs.

The Ham&High has been publicising the plight of the 22-year-old Russian Academy of Music graduate, who is half Indian and an outspoken supporter of the anti-fascist movement. Last week she was given the news she has long been hoping for, when her appeal against deportation was finally granted after an agonising six-week wait.

She said: "We are very pleased to hear that we won the case.

"The judge allowed the appeal and granted me leave to remain, but now we have to wait for the Home Office to issue me the final documents and grant of the refugee status.

"I am also waiting for the actual letter confirming leave to remain and travel documents, because my passport expired in December 2008 while it was in the Home Office,

"I don't have any proper ID and obviously I can't even think of applying for a new one from the Russian Embassy.

"It normally takes a few weeks. Once I have them in my hands, I can say it's all over and I have my status in the UK and then I'll throw a big party."

Russia has seen a rise in violent far-right gangs since the fall of the Soviet era and hundreds of immigrants have been attacked.

The British Foreign Office carries warnings on its website about the increase in racially-motivated attacks.

Ms Andrianova said: "An expert report was really helpful to determine the situation in Russia and my particular position when we were in court and the report's analysis confirmed how dangerous and risky it would have been for me to return to Russia."

Ms Andrianova is now hoping to begin work on her new album and has already recorded a remix of Beyonce's track Single Ladies, which she has renamed Single Mums.

1