Qatar: Mexican man arrested in Qatar for being gay and living with HIV provisionally released from prison

A gay British-Mexican, who was entrapped by police in Qatar on Grindr, has been provisionally released from prison after a global campaign for his freedom.

Manuel Guerrero Aviña was arrested and jailed in the capital Doha by local police after being lured to a meeting on 4 February.

A former British Airways manager, the 44-year-old was allegedly denied access to his ARV medication which, as a man living with HIV, put his health and life at risk.

A campaign to free Manuel was mounted by his brother, Enrique, and saw several protests in Mexico and the UK calling for his release.

On Monday, Enrique announced on social media that Manuel had been provisionally released from jail but, despite not being formally charged, still faces being prosecuted because of his sexuality.

He described the news as an important victory as it means that Manuel can continue his legal process in Qatar “out of the hands of those who have subjected him to torture away from those who have denied him his medication.”

He asserted, however, that it doesn’t resolve the root of the issue; the criminalisation of homosexuality and the continued investigation against his brother.

He revealed that Manuel had also not yet been provided with HIV medication but Enrique expressed hope that this would soon change.

He also thanked the global LGBT community, and British and Mexican diplomats for their solidarity and efforts. “Thank you for fighting alongside us and for shouting together with us that being gay is not a crime,” he said, adding in the caption that “the fight continues until he is back home free and without charges.”

Qatar’s Penal Code punishes same-sex relations with up to seven years in prison. Muslims convicted of homosexuality in sharia courts can be sentenced to death by stoning, although it’s thought to be rarely enforced.

In 2022, Human Rights Watch reported several horrific incidents in which security police in Qatar arrested and ill-treated LGBT people ahead of the nation’s controversial hosting of the World Cup that year.

A Mexican national living in Qatar, was arrested on 4 February for being a gay man and living with HIV, and calls for his release have been issued, as he has been ill-treated and tortured.

A Committee set up in his defence reported that the Mexican national is being held in a prison in the Qatari city of Doha, where he has been denied antiretroviral treatment.

It was alleged that in order to detain him for his sexual orientation, Catari police used a fake profile on Grindr, a dating app, to contact him and invite him to participate in a meeting with other LGBT+ people.

The committee explained that he was supposed to meet on 4 February with the person he had arranged to meet on the dating app but “found police officers waiting to arbitrarily arrest him”. They added that during the arrest they planted methamphetamines on him to frame him for the crime of drug possession.

“From the moment of his arrest, he has been the victim of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, as well as acts of psychological torture: authorities tried to force him to identify more members of the LGBTTTIQ+ community in his telephone contacts, and forced him to witness the suffering of other detainees while they were being whipped,” the committee said.

They added that he has been isolated and threatened, deprived of food and water, denied his right to a lawyer, and forced to sign documents in Arabic without a translator present.

Demands
The committee in his defence demanded that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) issue a response to the request submitted in the case and that the Mexican government intervene through its embassy in Mexico for his immediate release and repatriation.

It also demands that the Mexican Embassy in Qatar investigate and clarify the arbitrary detention, fabrication of crimes, physical and psychological torture, as well as the effects on Manuel Guerrero’s state of health.

Also that the representative of Qatar in Mexico issue a public apology for the criminalisation of a person belonging to the LGBT+ populations.

The committee members also requested that the United Nations, through its Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council, issue an urgent appeal to safeguard the life, integrity and freedom of the Mexican.

“Sexual orientation is not a crime, it is a human right,” the committee said.

In that country, homosexuality is considered against the law because it is considered “immoral” according to Islamic Sharia law.

Exigen liberación de mexicano en Qatar, detenido por ser gay y vivir con VIH

A X la policía le tendió una trampa para detenerlo, a través de una aplicación de citas.

X, mexicano radicado en Qatar, fue detenido el pasado 4 de febrero por ser un hombre gay y vivir con VIH, por lo que han pedido la liberación del connacional, quien ha recibido malos tratos y tortura.

El comité X acusó que el mexicano se encuentra en una cárcel ubicada en la ciudad catari de Doha, donde le han negado el tratamiento antirretroviral.

Se denunció que para detenerlo por su orientación sexual, la policía catari usó un perfil falso de Grindr, una aplicación de citas, para contactarlo e invitarlo a participar en una reunión con otras personas de las poblaciones LGBT+.

El comité describió que X se quedaría de ver el 4 de febrero con la supuesta persona con la que acordó la cita en la aplicación de citas pero “encontró a oficiales de la policía que lo esperaban para detenerlo de manera arbitraria”. Añadieron que durante la detención le sembraron metanfetaminas para incriminarlo en el delito de posesión de drogas.

“Desde el momento de su detención, X ha sido víctima de tratos crueles, inhumanos y degradantes, así como actos de tortura psicológica: autoridades intentaron forzarlo a identificar en sus contactos telefónicos a más integrantes de la comunidad LGBTTTIQ+, y le obligaron a presenciar el sufrimiento de otras personas también detenidas mientras eran azotadas”, señaló el comité en defensa del mexicano.

Añadieron que ha sido aislado y amenazado, además de privarlo de alimentos y agua.Le han negado también su derecho a tener un abogado y lo obligaron a firmar documentos en árabe sin una persona traductora presente.

Exigencias
El comité en defensa de X exigió a la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE) emitir una respuesta a la solicitud entregada ante el caso y que intervenga el Gobierno de México mediante la Embajada en ese país para su liberación inmediata y repatriación.

También se exige que la Embajada de México en Qatar investigue y esclarezca la detención arbitraria, fabricación de delitos, tortura física y psicológica, así como las afectaciones derivadas del estado de salud de X.

También que el representante de Qatar en México emita una disculpa pública por la criminalización de una persona perteneciente a las poblaciones LGBT+.

Los integrantes del comité solicitaron además que Naciones Unidas, a través de sus Procedimientos Especiales del Consejo de Derechos Humanos, emita una apelación urgente para salvaguardar la vida, integridad y libertad del mexicano.

“¡La orientación sexual no es un delito, es un derecho humano!”, sentenció el comité.

En ese país, la homosexualidad es considerada contraria a la ley porque se consideran “inmorales” según la sharia islámica.