Man targeted in Grindr ‘sting’ leaves Qatar
A British-Mexican man convicted of drug charges in Qatar and detained there for several months has been allowed to return to the UK.
Manuel Guerrero Aviña, a gay man, says he was targeted purely based on his sexuality and that his detention was “a breach of [his] human rights.”
The 44-year-old was arrested in February in what his family called a “honeytrap operation” involving the gay dating app Grindr, and was given a six-month suspended sentence plus a £2,100 fine, against which he unsuccessfully tried to appeal.
Qatar insists Mr Guerrero Aviña’s case was solely about the possession of drugs, which his family say were planted on him during the arrest.
A statement posted on X said that the former airline manager, who is HIV positive and claims he was not given regular access to his usual medication, was travelling to the UK for treatment for a few days before going on to Mexico.
The Manuel Guerrero Committee – a group formed by Mr Guerrero Aviña’s family to campaign for his release – said they were glad he was free from the “claws of the homophobic state of Qatar”.
They also thanked the people of Mexico and Britain, as well as the wider LGBT community and the media, for their support.
They said: “Manuel and his family thank you for your tireless support in this emblematic struggle against injustice, against homophobia and in favour of human rights for all people.”
James Lynch, co-director of human rights organisation FairSquare, who is also a former British diplomat in Qatar, said the incident had been a “horrendous ordeal” for Mr Guerrero Aviña.
He said: “I don’t underestimate how much of a toll this experience will have taken on him.
“Amongst other things, he went through a terribly unfair trial that UN experts have raised serious concerns about, and was deprived of his HIV medication in prison.
“I hope he can find time and space in the coming weeks and months for rest and recovery.”
Mr Guerrero Aviña’s family previously told the BBC that he was using Grindr in February and arranged to meet a man at his apartment in Doha.
However, when he went to the lobby to meet the man, he was detained by Qatari police officers, despite having no previous criminal record, they said.
His brother claimed that Mr Guerrero Aviña had methamphetamine planted on him and was then “pressured” into accepting it was his.
At a hearing in Doha in June, Mr Guerrero Aviña was found guilty of being in possession of an illegal substance and given the fine.
After an unsuccessful appeal, he has now been given permission to leave the country.
Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar, with punishments including fines and prison sentences.
BBC News has contacted Qatari officials for comment and is awaiting a response.
A Qatari official has previously insisted that his arrest was on the basis of possession of illegal substances and that “no other factors were taken into account”.
They said Mr Guerrero Aviña had been treated with dignity and respect, and that a test had confirmed the presence of drugs in his system at the time of his arrest.
Amnesty International described his treatment in custody and trial as “utterly horrific”.
The Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that both British and Mexican diplomatic staff accompanied Mr Guerrero Aviña to Hamad International Airport in Doha for his flight back to the UK.
They also thanked the British government for its support during his time in detention.
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