Qatar: Manuel Guerrero Aviña arrested in Grindr “sting” and sentenced

An Anglo-Mexican man arrested in Qatar in what his family called a “honey trap operation” on the gay dating app Grindr has been given a six-month suspended prison sentence and will be deported.

Manuel Guerrero Aviña, 44, was found guilty of possession of an illegal substance at a hearing in Doha and fined £2,100.

His family says police planted drugs in his apartment and Mr. Guerrero Aviña believes he was targeted in the attack because he is gay.

Human rights group FairSquare called his trial a “travesty of justice,” but Qatari officials insist the airline employee's arrest in February was solely for offenses related to Drugs.

Mr Guerrero Aviña called the verdict – which he plans to appeal – a human rights violation and says he was targeted because of his sexuality.

He said: “While I am pleased to be able to leave the country, I nevertheless condemn the unfair trial to which I was subjected and the torture and ill-treatment I endured during my pre-trial detention.”

Mr. Guerrero Aviña, an airline employee, said he was “taking advice” on his options.

Qatari prosecutors have up to 30 days to appeal the sentence, meaning he cannot leave the country immediately, even if he accepted the verdict.

James Lynch, co-director of human rights organization FairSquare and a former British diplomat in Qatar, said the case was a “travesty of justice”.

Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar, but Mr. Guerrero Aviña's family says he has lived a normal life there for the past seven years and has never been in trouble with the authorities before.

But he was met by police and arrested for drug trafficking, in what his family called a “honey trap operation”.

After 42 days of detention, Mr. Guerrero Aviña was released on condition of surrendering his passport.

He was forced to take a thumbprint from a confession written in Arabic, without the help of a translator or access to legal advice, according to his family.

Qatari officials insist the 44-year-old's arrest was “for possession of illegal substances on his person and in his apartment” and that “no other factors were taken into account.”

They added that tests for illegal substances in his system came back positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine.

Amnesty International called these tests “questionable” and non-compliant with international standards. Mr. Guerrero Aviña denies using drugs.

Aya Majzoub, Amnesty International's deputy regional director for the Middle East and Africa, said in a statement that the country's authorities must overturn the “scandalous conviction” of Mr. Guerrero Aviña and order his immediate release.

“There are serious fears that [he] was targeted because of his sexual orientation and was forced to provide authorities with information they could use to continue a broader crackdown against LGBTI people in Qatar.”

HIV charities also launched interventions in the case after Mr. Guerrero Aviña, who is HIV-positive, did not have regular access to his medication, which keeps the virus under control.

Mr Guerrero Aviña's family told the BBC that his usual treatment, prescribed by British doctors, ended in mid-April.

The UK's National Aids Trust told the BBC it had to urgently return to the UK to obtain the drug because it is not available in Qatar and it may have developed resistance to it. medication, which would make it less effective.

Deborah Gold, CEO of the National Aids Trust, said: “We are extremely concerned that he will not be able to access the ongoing medical care and treatment which is his human right while in Qatar. »

Mr Guerrero Aviña's brother, Enrique, told the BBC: “My brother risks being punished in Qatar because he is gay.”

“We will continue to fight until justice is served and until Manuel returns home safe and sound.”

A Qatari official said: “Contrary to some media reports, no other factors were taken into account during the arrest, and Mr. Aviña was treated with respect and dignity throughout his detention.”