Qatari officials accused of gang raping gay man in hotel before deporting him
Men and women wearing traditional Qatari clothing in Doha, Qatar. (Sean Gallup/Getty)
A gay man who lived in Qatar has revealed the harrowing truth about sting operations in place to entrap members of the queer community, with his own experience resulting in him being raped by officials.
In a report by inews, a man called Ali, who moved to Qatar’s capital, Doha, after the death of his dad in the Philippines shared his horrific experience.
After moving to Qatar, Ali says he used apps to meet and hook-up with other gay men – since homosexuality is illegal in the Gulf state.
Qatar’s human rights record has come under fierce scrutiny as it will be hosting the 2022 World Cup this year.
Ali tells inews he was invited to meet a man in a hotel in exchange for money, which he accepted. However, when he arrived he found six men waiting inside the hotel room.
He claims the men were members of the Qatari police. “They captured him,” Ali’s friend added in the interview.
‘I wanted to jump out the window’
“I really wanted to jump [out] the window but I can’t, it’s too high and I’m already cornered inside the room,” Ali said.
“They catch me and threw me on the bed. They started to rape me.”
Following the assault, Ali said one of the officers told him to shut up because he was crying, and slapped him on both sides of his face, while he was shaking and in shock.
Officers took photos of the conversation Ali had with the Turkish man as “evidence that he will pay me the QR 300”, which would act as evidence of prostitution and homosexuality.
FIFA urges players at Qatar World Cup to ‘focus on the football’ and not get involved in ‘every ideological or political battle that exists’ (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images)
After a night in jail he was taken to the deportation centre and sent back to the Philippines.
“I have trauma from what happened”, he said.
This is Ali’s story, but adds to concerns for UK LGBTQ+ football fans who might travel to Qatar for the World Cup.
British foreign secretary, James Cleverly recently told LGBTQ+ people to “be respectful” and compromise” with the host nation, while Nasser Al Khater, CEO of the FIFA World Cup 2022, claimed “everyone is welcome” ahead of the tournament.
‘Feminine’ gay men and trans women targeted
The ‘first’ Qatari man to come out publicly as gay, Dr Nasser Mohamed, who is now working with Human Rights Watch, also spoke to inews and confirmed the sting operation that captured Ali is common in the country.
He told the publication: “They’re called the Preventive Security Department.
“They’re not technically part of the police. They’re a national security team.”
Dr Mohamed said their “biggest targets are feminine gay men and transgender women – because it’s visible.”
