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A British-Mexican man convicted of drug charges in Qatar and detained there for several months has been allowed to return to the UK.<\/p>\n
Manuel Guerrero Avi\u00f1a, a gay man, says he was targeted purely based on his sexuality and that his detention was “a breach of [his] human rights.”<\/p>\n
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 \u00a32,100 fine, against which he unsuccessfully tried to appeal.<\/p>\n
Qatar insists Mr Guerrero Avi\u00f1a’s case was solely about the possession of drugs, which his family say were planted on him during the arrest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
A statement posted on X <\/a>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.<\/p>\n The Manuel Guerrero Committee – a group formed by Mr Guerrero Avi\u00f1a’s family to campaign for his release – said they were glad he was free from the “claws of the homophobic state of Qatar”.<\/p>\n They also thanked the people of Mexico and Britain, as well as the wider LGBT community and the media, for their support.<\/p>\n They said: “Manuel and his family thank you for your tireless support in this emblematic struggle against injustice, against homophobia and in favour of human rights for all people.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n James Lynch, co-director of human rights organisation FairSquare, who is also a former British diplomat in Qatar, said the incident had been a “horrendous ordeal” for Mr Guerrero Avi\u00f1a.<\/p>\n He said: “I don\u2019t underestimate how much of a toll this experience will have taken on him. <\/p>\n “Amongst other things, he went through a terribly unfair trial that UN experts have raised serious concerns about, and was deprived of his HIV medication in prison.<\/p>\n “I hope he can find time and space in the coming weeks and months for rest and recovery.”<\/p>\n Mr Guerrero Avi\u00f1a’s family previously told the BBC that he was using Grindr in February and arranged to meet a man at his apartment in Doha.<\/p>\n However, when he went to the lobby to meet the man, he was detained by Qatari police officers, despite having no previous criminal record, they said.<\/p>\n His brother claimed that Mr Guerrero Avi\u00f1a had methamphetamine planted on him and was then “pressured” into accepting it was his.<\/p>\n At a hearing in Doha in June,<\/a> Mr Guerrero Avi\u00f1a was found guilty of being in possession of an illegal substance and given the fine.<\/p>\n