Security forces in Qatar took into custody and tortured LGBT Qataris as recently as September according to Human Rights Watch as per Reuters. This is as the FIFA World Cup approaches. 

Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and a few football stars are concerned over the rights of fans, especially LGBT+ individuals and women, whom according to rights groups, Qatari laws discriminate against.

A Qatari official’s statement said that HRW’s allegations “contain information that is categorically and unequivocally false.” 

AFP

But homosexuality was not mentioned. 

The World Cup starts on November 20 and is the first to be played in a Middle Eastern country. Organisers assure that all are welcome irrespective of their sexual orientation or background. But they also warned against public displays of affection. 

“Freedom of expression and nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity should be guaranteed, permanently, for all residents of Qatar, not just spectators going to Qatar for the World Cup,” HRW said in a statement. 

AFP

The organisation said it had interviewed six LGBT Qataris – four transgender women, one bisexual woman and one gay man. They said they were detained between 2019 and 2022. 

“All six said that police forced them to sign pledges indicating that they would ‘cease immoral activity’,” it added.
   

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