US Journalist Who Was Detained In Qatar For Wearing Rainbow Jersey Passes Away

Doha: US journalist Grant Wahl, who was detained in Qatar for supporting the LGBTQ community by donning a rainbow jersey, passed away while covering the FIFA World Cup last night.

While covering Friday’s quarterfinal encounter between Argentina and the Netherlands at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, Grant (48) reportedly collapsed.

Eric Grant, Grant’s brother, said that the Qatari government might have been complicit in Wahl’s death.

“My name is Eric Wahl. I live in Seattle, Washington. I am Grant Wahl’s brother. I’m gay,” he said in a video posted on Instagram. “I’m the reason he wore the rainbow shirt to the World Cup. My brother was healthy. He told me he received death threats. I do not believe my brother just died. I believe he was killed. And I just beg for any help.”

Earlier, Grant claimed that he was asked to remove his rainbow shirt by World Cup security before the United States’ opening match against Wales at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan. When he tweeted about the incident, he claimed that his phone had been taken away.

He continued by saying that a security guard at the location afterwards apologised to him and let him into the stadium. Additionally, he said that a FIFA representative had apologised to him.

However, it is still unknown if Grant passed away in the hospital or in transit.

Grant had earlier this week mentioned in his email that he had visited the media centre facility in Qatar for a checkup. The local doctors said, “I most likely have bronchitis.”

Concerns have been raised about the rights of spectators travelling to the event, particularly women and LGBT+ people who, according to rights organisations, are subject to discrimination by the government of Qatar.