09/12/2024
The Peter Tatchell Foundation for human rights has said "protest can help overturn repression" after the release of a man jailed for homosexuality in Qatar. The BBC News Channel reported further that Manuel Guerrero Aviña, a gay man, says he was targeted purely based on his sexuality. 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. 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. James Lynch, co-director of human rights organisation FairSquare said "I hope he can find time and space in the coming weeks and months for rest and recovery."
