While jailed, Aviña was deprived of antiretroviral medication that he needs as an HIV-positive man. He was also forced to sign documents pertaining to his imprisonment that were written in Arabic, which he does not speak, without a translator. He said that he was forced to identify which contacts in his phone were his sexual partners, and subjected to “psychological torture.”

Aviña’s family and LGBTQ+ rights advocates around the world launched a campaign for him to return home, which was finally successful this week.

It’s at around this time that a respectable UK government might say “give him back or we’re wiping Doha off the map.” It’s good that he’s free, but I hope he doesn’t develop AIDS after this from being denied medication for so long.