By EFE
LGBTI groups reported this Tuesday that Manuel Guerrero, a gay Mexican man who has been living in Qatar for seven years, was arrested on February 4 in Doha, the country's capital, after attending an appointment arranged through an application and there he was arrested. received by the local police.
The Manuel Guerrero Committee, made up of activists and sexual diversity groups to promptly follow up on this case, assured that Manuel was the victim of an operation that violated human rights, which is common in countries that criminalize LGBTI people.
The group reported that the Qatar Police themselves created a fake profile on Grindr, a dating application, from where they contacted Manuel and arranged a meeting with him, posing as a gay man.
When he arrived at the meeting place, Manuel did not find the man he was supposed to meet, but rather police officers who arbitrarily detained him.
Furthermore, the organization stated, they planted him with a quarter of a gram of methamphetamine, imprisoned him
and subjected him to acts of psychological torture.
In Qatar, being gay and having sexual relations outside of marriage are classified as crimes punishable by fines, but also up to seven years in prison.
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The man, who is openly gay in his country of origin, is now in an isolation cell in Doha, “in inhumane conditions, being subjected to physical and psychological torture, and suffering mistreatment solely for being from the LGBT community and for living with HIV,” indicated the Manuel Guerrero Committee.
The organization also maintained that in prison Manuel has been threatened, isolated, deprived of sufficient food and water, in addition to being denied his right to have a lawyer and has been forced to sign documents in Arabic without a supporting translator.
On the other hand, they have prevented him
from taking the antiretrovirals he needs for living with HIV.
“That is torture and puts his life at serious risk,” they said.
The Manuel Guerrero Committee launched the international digital campaign #QatarMustFreeManuel this Tuesday, demanding the immediate intervention of the Government of Mexico in the case and the release of Manuel.
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“Sexual orientation is a human right and not a crime.
Manuel must be released.
The Committee that accompanies his case has already asked the Mexican authorities to act immediately, but still without a forceful response so far,” they stated.
Amnesty International expresses “concern” about the case
Amnesty International (AI) expressed this Tuesday its “deep concern” about the arrest of Guerrero, “due to his sexual orientation,” the AI Mexico account published on the social network X.
The international civil organization joined the Manuel Guerrero Committee's claim.
“We demand that the Qatari authorities respect the rights of all people in the LGBTI+ community,” the short publication concluded.
So far, neither the Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, nor the Foreign Ministry have commented on the issue, so the campaign seeks to incite them to action.