HRW says Qatar has detained and mistreated LGBT people ahead of World Cup

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Preview - Doha, Qatar - October 20, 2022 General view of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 countdown clock REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo

DOHA (Reuters) - Security forces in Qatar arbitrarily arrested and abused LGBT Qataris as recently as last month, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday, in the run-up to hosting soccer's World Cup which has put a spotlight on human rights issues in the Gulf Arab state.

Homosexuality is illegal in the conservative Muslim country, and some soccer stars have raised concerns over the rights of fans travelling for the event, especially LGBT+ individuals and women, whom rights groups say Qatari laws discriminate against.