The most recent case occurred in September, when four trans women, a bisexual woman and a homosexual man were taken to an underground prison in Doha. According to reports, at the scene they were “verbally attacked and subjected to physical abuse, with slaps, kicks and punches that caused bleeding”.
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In all cases, the detainees would have been forced to unlock their phones to hand over the contacts of other people in the LGBTQIA+ community. The conservative, Muslim-majority country bans same-sex marriage and sexual relations, which can be punished by up to seven years in prison. But none of the detainees named in the report were officially charged.
According to Human Rights, the six were apparently detained under a 2002 law that allows up to six months in prison without formal charges “if there is reason to believe that the person has committed a crime.”
A Qatari government source stated, according to AFP, that the versions are false. “Qatar does not tolerate discrimination against anyone. Our police and procedures are marked by a commitment to human rights for all,” he said.
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Human Rights called on FIFA to pressure Qatar to adopt laws protecting LGBTQIA+ people. FIFA guarantees that rainbow flags, a symbol of the community, will be authorized in and around stadiums during the World Cup. English striker Harry Kane is one of several European team captains who promeYou can wear the colors of the “One Love” campaign as an armband, which symbolizes the fight against discrimination.
(With AFP)
