A dual British-Mexican citizen arrested in Qatar has been pressured to reveal names of men he’s had sex with as a condition of his release from jail. Manuel Guerrero fell victim to a police-led Grindr sting and was later denied his HIV meds. He is out of prison but now can’t leave Qatar. He still hasn’t named anyone he slept with.
This world we live in… People need to chill the fuck out. Periodt. So much unnecessary hatred and anger.
More on the full story after the jump and check out QatarFreeManuel for updates on how you can help!
Gay sex in the conservative Muslim country is punishable by up to seven years in prison, and carries the death penalty under Sharia law, although this is unenforced.
The ex-British Airways manager, who is HIV positive, is now out of prison but faces prosecution, according to his brother. He is banned from leaving the country and is about to run out of antiretroviral medication.
“We need the support and solidarity of the LGBT community” – Manuel’s brother, Enrique
Speaking to Attitude last week, Enrique Guerrero Aviña said: “Manuel was released, but the investigation continues. He has a travel ban. The medical situation is not solved. At this moment, Manuel is taking his own antiretroviral, but we only have nine days’ more of the doses.”“He is very affected by the torture, the post-traumatic stress, but he has hope that with the solidarity of the LGBTQ community and organisations worldwide, and everything we are doing, that we can reach freedom and justice,” added Enrique. “But he’s worried about his health, and access to medicine.”
Enrique points out that “suspending and then taking the antiretroviral is very dangerous, as that can generate resistance to the medicine.”
Enrique alleges that, while in prison, Manuel’s HIV medication was withheld “to create psychological pressure.”
“They made an intervention to know the names of Manuel’s sexual partners,” he added, later qualifying that Manuel did not give over names. “That was before the release. That act of torture was documented by the UK embassy. It’s like the trial of another century.”
“The prosecutor could take him to a trial,” Enrique furthermore explained, adding his brother “needs to be repatriated. The UK government can do it, but we need the decision to be made.
“We need the support and solidarity of the LGBT community and the British citizens to make more pressure. The UK government can make more effort to save the life of Manuel and to bring him home. He’s a British citizen.
“The UK government know about the case, the situation, and that Manuel does not have access to a fair trial. Manuel was 38 days without a lawyer and without a translator. Until this day, the lawyer doesn’t have access to the files. That’s not fair.”
“Like a trial of another century”
Enrique, now leading the QatarFreeManuel campaign, also claims drugs were planted on his brother during the arrest.“The Qatari government thinks HIV is a criminal network,” Enrique says. “They want to know the names of sexual partners to go for them. It’s terrible.”
[via atttitude]
An HIV+ male with multiple partners in a muslim countnry?
Did he share his status?
Where the f*ck is the British government to pressure this country to release him??? And really just don’t visit those countries. I would NOT! No need for there muslim propaganda and so on!
Well now you know….and you already knew nonetheless you went ahead with having sex. When I traveled to a homophobic country…i did not ‘engage’ and i talked to my doctor about my hiv meds. None of this was secret..i wouldn’t give you a nickel.
the hypocrisy of this – take a look at the very active number of gay escorts in the region…
Yup tons of escorts and onlyfans creators you can contact easily. As long as nobody complains, and you should be very careful whom you should accept as clients.
Outrageous! And yet the sporting, marketing and social world engages with and hosts events in countries like this which have outdated & discriminatory human rights policies – often in violation of their own codes of ethics! Shameful!
They have basic rules:
— Dont use gaydating apps,
—do not expose your sexual activities (gay/straight) — there are hundreds of qataris who enjoy sex with men but they dont expose it due to their culture and religion
— never endanger anyone with diseases especially std’s
Different country, different rules
I would never go to another country and risk prosecution and persecution for being who I am. Hell, I’m nervous about going to Texas!!!
The comments of some, really, I can’t believe they could be so judgemental. Anyone who reads this should think tge man had his reasons like maybe someone really special.
Remember, those who judge get judged.
Remember those who are gay in Muslim countries can go to jail, as he found out. Is it wrong? Yes. But when you travel overseas you are bound to their laws.
Damn you’re a huge puss! Judge that, fool.
I will never understand why any gay person would ever want to visit any country in the Persian Gulf region. Those xenophobic shitholes are notoriously homophobic and misogynistic. Shun them!
Absolutely Deepgloat! I agree with you 100%! But it’s really a shame thought because there’s some amazing history to be seen in the Middle East! But Ultimately it’s not worth it! The LGBTQIA people should definitely stay out of the Middle East!
Im so sorry for you have been misinformed. They do have strict rules on homosexuality and even public display of intimacy for gays and even straights. But there are many many local lgbtq+ people who enjoy their lives as long as its in private and noone should be sexually exploited.
I guess he fucked around and found out.
WTF would you go there and get on Grindr or do anything gay? Same with Russia or parts of Africa (where else). If you had to go there for work get deep back in the closet until you leave.
Umm, don’t go to a foreign country and expect their laws and culture to be the same as tour home country. This is the Middle-East, Muslim laws are not accepting to homosexuals. While I personally don’t agree with those laws, Iit is not my country to make them. The people there have spoken and that is the laws they want to have. So when you go to a foreign country, inform yourself and obey their laws and you won’t have problems. He sorta did this to himself.
Okay, so the rules in Qatar are outrageous and inhuman but they are the rules.
So dude decides to go there and break their rules.
Um, he’s dumb.