Human Rights Watch: Six LGBTQ+ Qataris Arrested and Abused Last Month

Human Rights Watch has documented five cases of sexual harassment and repeated beatings of LGBTQ+ detainees in police custody. In another case, one transgender detainee was held in solitary confinement for two months. Neither victim received any charges.

Human Rights Watch documented six cases of severe and repeated beatings

Human Rights Watch’s investigation found that members of the LGBTQ+ community in Qatar have been subjected to brutal violence in police custody. The group documented six cases of repeated beatings of LQBT people and five cases of sexual harassment. It also found that detainees were forced to unlocked their mobile phones and gave their contact information to the police. In Qatar, homosexuality and sex outside marriage are illegal and can lead to up to seven years in prison. Neither the police nor the Qatar government have made any charges against any of those detained.

In addition, there were several cases of excessive force by police during protests. While the government has not released any injury figures, a recent report from Human Rights Watch indicates that police often used excessive force to maintain control over crowds. The government generally supported the actions of the security forces.

Human Rights Watch documented five cases of sexual harassment in police custody

HRW’s investigation found that members of Qatar’s LGBTQ+ community were detained in a Doha underground prison for two months and subjected to verbal and physical abuse. Some women were beaten until they were unconscious. Others were forced to make confessions and denied access to legal counsel and family members. Several of the women reported feeling depressed as a result of their detentions.

Qatar’s treatment of the LGBTQ+ community has been the subject of widespread criticism from international human rights organizations. A recent Human Rights Watch report detailed six cases of abuse, including ill-treatment in police custody. The report also detailed wrongful arrests and unlawful phone searches. In addition, Qatar has required transgender women to undergo conversion therapy. HRW’s report comes just weeks before the World Cup in the Middle East, which puts the country’s treatment of the LGBTQ+ community under international scrutiny.

Transgender detainees were required to attend transfer therapy sessions at a government-sponsored facility

Inmates who are transgender must undergo transfer therapy sessions in prison to avoid stigma and discrimination. Inmates who are not accepted as their true gender are at an increased risk for suicide, depression, and substance abuse, according to a study by the American Correctional Association. Moreover, transgender people are more likely to face physical abuse, sexual harassment, and other negative conditions. Corrections officers who fail to recognize the unique needs of transgender inmates may be subjected to legal action.

Government-sponsored facilities should have a clear policy about how to accommodate transgender inmates. Inmates must be kept safe from harassment and violence, and corrections staff must respect their rights and accommodate changing practices. They must also remember that incarceration is a two-way street, and corrections officers must balance the needs of transgender inmates with the requirements for safety and security.

One detainee was held in solitary confinement for two months

Qatar’s Preventive Security Department recently reported that members of Qatar’s LGBTQ+ community had been arbitrarily detained and subjected to ill-treatment in detention. The report says that LGBTQ+ individuals were physically abused by security services. It further states that Qatar’s media censors articles on LGBT issues.

The detainees were verbally abused and physically abused by Qatari security forces, and they were not given access to legal counsel or family support. One transgender woman was forced to undergo conversion therapy by security forces, and her online activity was monitored. Several other members of the LGBTQ+ community who spoke with Human Rights Watch said their experiences were similar kora online.

One detainee was held without charge

Human Rights Watch reports that at least six LGBTQ+ members of Qatar’s LGBTQ+ population were arrested last month and abused by security forces. They were denied access to legal counsel and suffered physical abuse ranging from slapping to punching until they bled. One of them spent two months in solitary confinement.

Human Rights Watch says the detained transgender women were forced to sign a pledge vowing not to engage in immoral activities. HRW interviewed one transgender Qatari woman who was stopped by police for “imitating women” and later beaten and kicked in the stomach. The woman was eventually released with the condition that she attend therapy sessions with a psychologist. The women were also told to cease wearing make-up and to shave their heads.

Other detainees were forced to unlock their phones

At least six people in the Qatari LGBTQ+ community were forced to unlock their phones by authorities. They were subsequently forced to turn over information about LGBTQ members. However, no one has been charged. Qatar is a conservative Muslim country, where homosexuality and sex outside of marriage are prohibited and can result in up to seven years in prison. Despite these laws, a Qatari government official said that the allegations are false and that there is no discrimination against Qatar’s LGBTQ+ population.

The government’s repression of Qatar’s LGBTQ+ community goes beyond individual incidents of harassment. Some members of the community were physically abused by security services in jail. They were verbally harassed, punched until they bled, and denied the right to seek legal advice or contact family members or seek treatment.

Source : كورة اون لاين