‘Life-or-death situation’: Man jailed after fake Grindr police sting in Qatar calls on help from Aussie PM

An airline worker is locked in a foreign jail without life-saving medication for one horrific reason.

The family of a gay man jailed in Qatar after responding to a fake message on the dating app Grindr have called upon Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to assist in his release ahead of an upcoming court hearing.

Qatar Airways staffer Manuel Guerrero, 44, was taken into custody on February 4 following a sting by local police using the LGBTQI+ dating app.

Mr Guerrero’s brother Enrique said he was sent a message on the app inviting him to participate in a meeting with other people from the LGBTQI+ community in the city of Doha.

However, upon arrival, he was met by local police who took him into custody.

Enrique said his family was not told of his arrest until 23 days later with Mr Guerrero unable to access his HIV medication.

Mr Guerrero’s Australian colleagues and friends have called for assistance from local politicians. Picture: Supplied

Mr Guerrero has worked in the airline business for over 18 years.

Ahead of Mr Guerrero’s court hearing on March 13 – where prosecutors are set to decide whether the issue goes to trial – Enrique, as well as Australian colleagues and friends of the jailed man, have called on our politicians to get involved.

They say Australian politicians speaking out on the issue would help their cause, due to recent interactions between the two nations on human rights issues.

“I believe the Prime Minister of Australia and Australian politicians can support us significantly; they have channels of communication with Qatar,” his brother Enrique told news.com.au.

Mr Guerrero is a dual British-Mexican citizen, and previously working for British Airways.

In 2020, the Qatari foreign minister apologised to the Australian government after multiple women were forced to undergo invasive examinations at Qatar airport.

Police were searching for the mother of a baby abandoned in a bathroom with the incident sparking national outrage.

Mr Guerrero began working for Qatar Airways seven years ago. Last year he had been promoted to Acting Head of Product Development and Service Design. Picture: AAP/Richard Wainwright

“I think they can respectfully call for resolving this alarming situation,” Enrique said.

Mr Guerrero moved from the UK to Qatar seven years ago after taking a job as a manager for product development on-board at Qatar Airways.

Prior to that he worked for British Airways for almost a decade, as well as American Airlines and Lufthansa.

Mr Guerrero’s brother said he did not blame Qatar Airways for their inaction.

“In Qatar, no one publicly opposes the government; there’s no criticism or freedom of expression, which explains why the company can’t do anything,” he said.

“We are in a life-or-death situation because Manuel isn’t receiving his HIV medications, a situation that shouldn’t exist.”

Qatari law states any person “inducing or seducing a male or a female in any way to commit illegal or immoral actions” can be jailed for up to three years. The law also criminalises “same-sex activity” with sentences up to seven years in jail.

Qatar has also adopted an interpretation of sharia law which can lead to same-sex relationships being punished with the death penalty.

An online petition, QatarFreeManuel, has been signed by 18,000 people.

In a statement provided to various media outlets, a spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK confirmed they are providing Mr Guerrero with assistance.

“We are providing consular assistance to a British man who is detained in Qatar and are supporting his family,” the statement said.