Manuel Guerrero Aviña, a British-Mexican man who spent six months in detention in Qatar, has issued a stark warning to LGBT travelers following his release. In his first interview after returning home, Manuel told BBC News, “I never thought I would return home,” expressing his shock and relief.
Manuel, who was found guilty of drug offenses, believes he was targeted because of his sexuality. He was arrested in February after arranging a meeting through the gay dating app Grindr, only to discover that the person he was meeting was an undercover police officer.
In his interview, Manuel cautioned LGBT individuals planning to visit Qatar to “be careful,” emphasizing that “what happened to me could happen to anyone.”
Human rights organizations have criticized Manuel’s detention, describing his trial as “grossly unfair.” Despite these concerns, Qatari authorities insist that his arrest was solely due to drug-related charges.
