Gay Man Files UN Complaint Against Gulf State Over Dating-App Entrapment
His case is believed to be the first concerning LGBTIQ+ rights in the Middle East and North Africa region to be brought before a UN treaty body.
A man has filed a complaint against a Gulf State before the United Nations Committee against Torture, alleging he was entrapped through dating apps, detained and tortured because he is gay.
Supported by REDRESS and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), both members of the United Against Torture Consortium, the case is believed to be the first concerning LGBTIQ+ rights in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to be brought before a UN treaty body.
L.O. (a pseudonym given to him to protect his identity) worked in the Gulf State for seven years before his arrest in 2024. His complaint alleges that he was targeted through false profiles on Tinder and Grindr as part of an operation to entrap gay men. Human rights organisations have documented similar practices across MENA, where authorities use online surveillance and dating apps to target LGBTIQ+ people.
L.O. says he witnessed officers using fake profiles on dating apps, including Grindr, Tinder, Scruff and Romeo, to target other LGBTIQ+ people. His case highlights how these practices can facilitate serious abuses, including torture and arbitrary detention. During nearly two months in detention, L.O. alleges that he was held in overcrowded, unsanitary cells; threatened with whipping and death; subjected to homophobic verbal abuse and pressured to identify other gay men. He was denied timely access to essential HIV medication and placed in solitary confinement because of his HIV status. He also says he was forced to place his thumbprint on an Arabic-language confession for crimes he did not commit, despite not understanding the language.
The complaint argues that the cumulative impact of these abuses, compounded by discrimination based on his sexual orientation and HIV status, amounts to torture under the UN Convention against Torture.
Despite concerns raised by consular officials and UN experts, L.O. was released only after receiving a suspended sentence and a fine. He subsequently lost his job and was deported. He continues to experience the financial, psychological, and social consequences of his detention.
L.O. is seeking recognition of the violations, an apology, and compensation, including for losses suffered because of the termination of his employment. He is also calling for reforms to detention conditions and training for law enforcement and detention personnel on preventing torture, HIV, medical confidentiality and non-discrimination.
“I’m seeking acknowledgement, accountability and meaningful change,”
said L.O.
“I’m bringing this case not only to seek justice for what happened to me, but also in the hope that it will help prevent others from suffering similar abuses.”
L.O.’s experience reflects abuses documented across the region. In a 2023 report, Human Rights Watch exposed the digital targeting of LGBTIQ+ people in MENA, including reports of detainees being denied due process, food, water, family contact and medical care, subjected to verbal, physical and sexual abuse, and placed in solitary confinement.
“This case represents a significant moment for the LGBTIQ+ community in the MENA region. It is also an opportunity for States to address discriminatory practices that cause significant harm to those impacted,”
said Chris Esdaile, REDRESS Senior Legal Advisor.
“This case underscores that torture leaves lasting consequences long after detention ends. Survivors are entitled to recognition of the violations they endured and to full and effective reparation, including rehabilitation, compensation and guarantees of non-repetition. Accountability and reparation are essential to ensuring that no one is subjected to such abuse because of their sexual orientation or HIV status,”
said Helena Solà Martín of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT).
About REDRESS and OMCT
REDRESS is an international human rights organisation that seeks justice and reparation for survivors of torture, challenges impunity for perpetrators, and advocates for legal and policy reforms to combat torture. REDRESS’s cases respond to torture as an individual crime in domestic and international law, as a civil wrong with individual responsibility, and as a human rights violation with state responsibility.
The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) empowers a global network of over 200 anti-torture organisations through a holistic approach to torture. It drives change via sustained advocacy circuits, integrating local documentation into advocacy before regional and international mechanisms and back to local implementation. As the coordinator for civil society participation in the work of the UN Committee against Torture since 2014, OMCT bridges global and local efforts. Additionally, it strives to protect human rights defenders at risk and provides direct support to member and partner organisation to ensure continued anti-torture work including in crisis contexts.
Media contacts
For media interviews or further information, please contact Eva Sanchis, REDRESS Head of Communications (English/Spanish), at [email protected] or +44 (0)7857 110076.
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