‘I never thought I’d return home’

A British-Mexican man convicted of drug offences in Qatar after being detained there for six months has advised BBC News he “by no means thought I’d return house”.

In his first interview since leaving the nation, Manuel Guerrero Aviña, who says he was focused as a result of he’s homosexual, warned LGBT folks to “watch out when visiting Qatar”, saying: “What occurred to me might occur to anybody.”

He was arrested in February after arranging to satisfy a person – who he later discovered was an undercover police officer – utilizing homosexual relationship app Grindr.

Human-rights teams have raised considerations over Manuel’s detention and referred to as his trial “grossly unfair” – however Qatari officers insist he was arrested due to drug offences.

The 45-year-old former British Airways employee now desires to give attention to returning to work and spending time along with his household.

Manuel made headlines all over the world following his arrest and his household began a marketing campaign for him to be freed.

At a courtroom listening to in June, he was discovered responsible of possessing an unlawful substance, given a six-month suspended jail sentence, fined £2,100 and was the topic of a deportation order.

After returning to the UK, he has – for the primary time – given a first-hand account of his 44 days in a Qatari jail and subsequent detention within the nation.

“There have been so many instances I used to be terrified,” Manuel stated.

“I assumed I might by no means be capable of depart.

“I assumed I would get misplaced within the system.

“I used to be actually scared.

“I by no means thought I’d return house safely.”

Manuel has at all times insisted cops planted medicine in his flat and says the actual purpose for his arrest was his sexuality.

“I completely deny the medicine expenses,” he advised BBC News.

“Throughout your complete interrogation, every thing they requested me about was about my sexual companions, my sexual orientation, whether or not I’ve been having intercourse, who I’ve had intercourse with and issues like that.

“If it was only a medicine case, they might have been asking me about medicine.”

Homosexuality is criminalised in Qatar and human-rights organisations have repeatedly raised considerations concerning the remedy of LGBT folks within the nation.

But Manuel stated he had lived there for seven years with out getting in hassle with police.

“There gave the impression to be an unwritten rule that no matter went on in non-public was OK,” he stated.

“I assumed I used to be being compliant by being discreet when [in public] and following the foundations – however I used to be simply making an attempt to reside slightly little bit of my life behind doorways.

“I assumed it was wonderful so long as it wasn’t in public.”

BBC News beforehand reported how, on 4 February, Manuel had been messaging a person on relationship apps Grindr and Tinder and invited him to his flat.

After going to satisfy the person within the foyer of his constructing, Manuel says he was as a substitute met by cops who handcuffed him earlier than looking his flat, ultimately arresting him.

During his time in jail, Manuel says, he witnessed folks being whipped and was moved into cramped circumstances after refusing to unlock his cellphone or disclose the names and cellphone numbers of different LGBT folks dwelling in Qatar.

“They have been making an attempt to pressure me to admit and unlock my cellphone – however I couldn’t put different folks from the homosexual neighborhood in danger,” he stated.

“Why would I put another person by way of that ache?”

BBC News has seen a confession, written in Arabic, which Manuel says he was pressured to thumbprint with out the presence of a lawyer or the help of a translator.

We can’t independently confirm all of his claims.

Many of the accusations about his remedy after his arrest relate to time spent behind closed doorways with few witnesses.

But the Guerrero Aviña household has shared an in depth timeline of occasions – and former reporting on the remedy of LGBT folks and the behaviour of cops in Qatar counsel others have had comparable experiences.

A Qatari official advised BBC News Manuel had been handled with “dignity and respect all through his detention” and sentenced “following an investigation and trial”.

He had been arrested “for possessing an unlawful substance” and “no different elements have been thought of when making the arrest”.

“Mr Aviña and his household have made quite a few false allegations in an try to generate public sympathy and help for his case,” the official stated.

“An individual’s beliefs, background or orientation don’t exempt them from the regulation, particularly when going through critical expenses associated to drug possession.

“Qatar has stringent legal guidelines governing the possession of unlawful medicine – and the authorities are repeatedly working to fight this concern.

“As Mr Aviña himself has acknowledged, he lived in Qatar with none points for seven years.”

But former British diplomat in Qatar and co-director of human-rights organisation FairSquare James Lynch stated the trial had been “grossly unfair” and likened it to different instances he had handled.

“Manuel was clearly focused as a result of he was LGBT and dwelling in Qatar and dwelling his life,” Mr Lynch stated.

“Over the final three years, we’ve handled a number of instances of people that’ve been arrested after which interrogated and not using a lawyer.

“The Qataris have to type out the way in which justice is delivered within the nation.”

Manuel, who resides with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, was additionally supported by HIV charities within the UK, after claims he had not been given common entry to his medicine, which retains the virus underneath management.

He stated: “I needed to beg each day to jail officers to attempt to get entry to my medicine.

“It was a very troublesome time for me with out entry to my medicine, since you’re frightened concerning the results in your well being and it additionally has an influence in your psychological well being.”

Now again within the UK, Manuel says, he’s receiving medical consideration and slowly turning into extra capable of be his true self.

“It’s not about seeing symbols in all places like rainbows or flags,” he stated.

“It’s extra that it feels superb to have the ability to recuperate a number of the small issues that you simply don’t realise you’ve misplaced till you will have them again.

“Things like seeing folks holding palms on the street, having the ability to be affectionate with my buddies with out fascinated about how we’re interacting, having the ability to try this with out it being behind closed doorways.”