Since his arrest on February 4, Mexican Manuel Guerrero has suffered torture and has not received his antiretroviral treatment.
The Mexican Manuel Guerrero Aviña was arrested in Qatar on February 4 for his sexual orientation. Numerous entities and activists in favor of community rights LGTBIQ + They have asked for his release.
Guerrero, who lives with HIV, has been deprived of his treatment antiretroviral during his imprisonment in Doha, also suffering torture and mistreatment, including denial of access to sufficient food and water, as well as the impossibility of having a lawyer and being forced to sign documents without understanding their content due to the language barrier.
The Mexican authorities, through the Secretary of Foreign Relations (SRE), have declared that they are in an active process of intervention to guarantee the protection and well-being of Manuel guerrero, in coordination with the british embassy, since the Mexican also has British citizenship.
They are making continuous efforts to ensure the rights, dignity and access to medical treatments necessary for the health of Manuel. In addition, they have emphasized their intention to appeal to international cooperation to facilitate his well-being, integrity and a prompt reunion with his family.
Police used Grindr to arrest him
The arrest of the Mexican occurred under misleading circumstances, as the Qatari police used a covert method to detain Manuel Guerrero Aviña using dating app Grindr.
Through this application, the agents established a false meeting with him. Upon arriving at the agreed place for the supposed appointment, Guerrero He encountered not a person interested in him, but police officers who arbitrarily detained him. This procedure highlights a deception tactic specifically aimed at identifying and detaining individuals based on their sexual orientation.
Amnesty International and other entities have denounced the acts of torture and cruel treatment to which Guerrero has been subjected, underlining the attempt by the Qatari authorities to incriminate him in drug crimes, adding charges of possession of illicit substances to his already complicated situation. These tactics, directed not only against Guerrero but also frequently used against members of the community LGTBIQ +, reflect a pattern of persecution and abuse.
Manuel guerrero has a hearing on March 13 in which the Prosecution has the decision to deport him or put him on trial, if they put him on trial it would involve a months-long process that without his treatment would be condemning him to death.
It should be remembered that in Qatar, as in several countries of Middle East, laws and social regulations regarding sexuality are strict and conservative due to predominant cultural and religious influences. Homosexuality is illegal and criminalized, which can result in fines, imprisonment, and in some cases, more severe punishments.