Man jailed in Turkey for 20 days just because he ‘looked gay’

A gay Portuguese man claims he was arrested in Istanbul, Turkey and jailed for 20 days, just because he “looked gay”.

On 25 June, Miguel Alvaro’s holiday took an unexpected turn when he was arrested by police in Istanbul after asking for directions.

The arrest coincided with a nearby LGBTQ+ parade which was unsanctioned by authorities, and Alvaro believes that the officers had orders to arrest a certain number of people in connection with the event.

Alvaro told PinkNews he was “shocked, appalled and very angry” about the arrest.

“They grabbed my arms and I tried to free myself. One of them hit me in the ribs, they pushed me against a van, they hit me on the shoulder, which started to bleed,” he told LBC.

Following the arrest, Alvaro claims he spent five hours in the police van, where he alleges he was told he was detained “because of my appearance”.

“They thought I would participate in an unauthorised LGBTI+ march that was going to take place nearby because I looked gay,” he said. “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”