Gay Qataris physically abused then recruited as agents, campaigner says

State using them to track down other gay people, he says

The official FIFA World Cup Countdown Clock on Doha's corniche, overlooking the skyline of Doha, Qatar. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Gay Qataris have been promised safety from physical torture in exchange for helping the authorities to track down other LGBTQ+ people in the country, a prominent Qatari doctor and gay rights campaigner has told the Guardian.

Dr Nasser Mohamed, who lives in the US but retains contact with hundreds of gay Qataris, said that some secret networks had been compromised after arrests by Qatar’s preventive security department.