A post is being shared alleging that anyone who carries the LGBT flag to the World Cup in Qatar this year could face between seven and 11 years in prison. This information is circulated using a quote from Qatar World Cup Organizing Committee Chairman Nasser Al-Khater.

There is no evidence in major newspapers to indicate that this quote is real and Qatari government spokesmen have already denied it. The Maldita and Newtral media spoke with representatives of the organization of the event who denied that the quote, which is attributed to the president of the Organizing Committee of the Soccer World Cup, Nasser Al-Khater, is true.

Both the Qatari government and FIFA have already spoken out about the display of LGBTQ+ flags during the soccer world cup. Speaking to the Associated Press last year, one of those responsible for overseeing the organization of the competition left a warning. Major General Abdullah Al Ansari advanced that LGBT symbols could be confiscated for security reasons. But in 2020 a FIFA representative had assured that rainbow flags or jerseys would be welcome in stadiums.

Qatar will allow rainbow flags at the 2022 World Cup.

FIFA’s Joyce Cook: “We will see progressive change.”
Qatar’s Nasser Al-Khater: “Everyone will be treated with respect.”#LGBT human rights activist Chris Paouros: “It feels like a window display.”

by @RobHarris https://t.co/VDNmeF8EMn pic.twitter.com/UrL1flqbS5

— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) December 9, 2020

Same-sex marriage punishable by up to three years in prison

Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar. Human Rights Watch says laws in the Persian Gulf state discriminate against gay, bisexual and transgender people. Same-sex marriage is illegal. The prison sentence provided for this crime can be up to three years. On the website of the organization dedicated to the defense of human rights, the director of global initiatives of Human Rights Watch, Minky Worden, wrote in August 2018 that “the World Cup of Soccer is exposing the homophobia of the government of Qatar and their lack of capacity to confront the climate of self-censorship that exists in the country.” She called on “Qatari authorities to reform laws that create a threatening environment for the media and threaten LGBTQ+ people with criminal sanctions.”

FIFA’s statutes recognize human rights as a central part of the federation’s work and prohibit discrimination of any kind. But hosting the World Cup in Qatar raises concerns among members of the LGBTQ+ community. The first Australian rules football major to come out, Josh Caballo, told The Guardian newspaper last November that he would be scared if he had to play in the World Cup in Qatar. In addition, at least three hotels, from FIFA’s official list of places where fans can stay during the competition, will refuse to accept same-sex couples. This is how Reuters advances it, citing a study carried out by several Scandinavian media.

conclusion

There is no evidence that the quote being shared on social media is true. Qatari authorities and FIFA deny the authenticity of the statements. Still, Human Rights Watch warns of discrimination against people in the LGBTQ+ community taking place in Qatar. Same-sex marriage is illegal, a crime punishable by up to three years in prison. As for the World Cup, LGBTQ+ flags or other symbols may be confiscated for “security reasons.”

Thus, according to the Observer classification system, this content is:

WRONG

In the Facebook classification system this content is:

FAKE: the main content claims are factually inaccurate. This option typically matches “false” or “mostly false” ratings on fact-checking websites.

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