Living Nightmare: Former Shanghai Resident Arrested in Turkey for “Looking Gay”

The month of June will live on in infamy for 34-year-old Miguel Álvaro Pereira. A much anticipated short holiday trip to one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world turned into a nightmare for Pareira when the Portuguese-South African national was arrested in Turkey for looking Gay. Pareira, unaware of the running battles between Turkish law enforcement and Istanbul Pride organizers, was caught in the crosshairs as police tried to enforce a ban on pride celebrations. 

What soon followed was a harrowing 20-day ordeal that saw Pereira detained in multiple prisons and detention facilities under unhygienic conditions, unable to seek help to secure his freedom, and unsure of his fate. Thanks to his friend, a Gay Iranian refugee with whom he was arrested, Pereira was finally freed and has safely returned to his country of residence, Brazil. Understandably, the experience of being arrested and detained in a foreign country, even for a seasoned traveler like Pareira, who has lived in London, Shanghai, and South Africa,  is harrowing. Now a free man, Pareira worries about the safety of his Iranian friend, who is still detained and faces deportation back to his home country, where homosexuality is punishable by death.

Newly re-elected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in the leadup to the country’s general elections, made identity politics a focal point in his campaign speeches, using inflammatory language against gender and sexual minorities to galvanize support from his electoral base, a tactic employed by many other conservative world leaders in Europe, Africa, and North and South America in the recent past. Such rhetoric has led to increased crackdowns on LGBTQIA+ people and spaces, the largest of which was the banning of Istanbul Pride in June, and the mass arrest of the event’s attendees, and bystanders like Pareira, whose only crime was not only being at the wrong place at the wrong time, but also looking Gay.

This is Pareira’s cautionary story.  

All that Glitters…

What made you choose Turkey as a travel destination and how long did you intend to stay? 

I was super interested in a cuisine in and the architecture of Istanbul. I have traveled to many different countries and wanted to try something different. Honestly, I was super excited about this trip and it was meant to be a 4-day trip before starting a summer camp job in Switzerland. 

Before the incident, had you researched Turkey and how friendly it was toward LGBTQIA+ people? What did you know about tolerance toward gender and sexual minorities in the country before your trip? 

Actually yes, I had seen it’s not illegal to be gay! And I was aware that being a Muslim country, it’s not something that’s cherished. But I have traveled to countries like Lebanon, the UAE, and Kuwait, and experienced no problems. So I thought as long as I’m not kissing a guy in the streets I should be fine. And I had no intention of doing that. 

Please recount the scene on the day of the incident i.e. what led up to the arrest, what the mood was like, how the arrest took place, and what you were told was the reason for your arrest. 

It was Sunday, June 25, at 2 pm. I hadn’t had breakfast so I decided to lunch at a famous tourist area called Balat. I just remember getting ready and planning what to wear for what I thought would be a cute Instagram pic and a chill day. I was super relaxed and excited to see the place. 

I left my apartment in Cihangir and saw a whole bunch of policemen. And thought it was very strange – it seemed like something was wrong – I thought, “Let me get out of the area and just get on with my tourism.” I wanted to leave the area but it seemed as though the police were really just blocking the entry and exit to this area. I then thought it would just be easier to ask the police for directions because, of course, the police are there to protect you and provide help when needed (in Western culture). 

I then went to ask a policeman where Balat was and he, in response, asked me why I was going there, to which I  said to meet a friend for lunch, after which he called out to his colleagues to arrest me. 

I tried to resist and asked why I was being arrested but was thrown against a police van surrounded by eight policemen after which one of the arresting officers struck me in the ribs, slammed my head against the van, and grazed my shoulder against the metal grating on the van. I just remember bleeding and thinking, “Why is this happening to me?” I kept asking why was being arrested but no one spoke English and could help me. 

Five hours after sitting in the van, one policeman explained that I was being arrested because there was an “illegal Gay parade” taking place that day, and because I looked Gay I was being arrested. I honestly had no idea there was even a parade taking place. Little did I know that the 13 hours spent in the van would become the beginning of a 20-day nightmare. 

To Hell and Back

Once you were taken into custody, were you informed of your rights i.e. what you needed to do to be released? Did the arresting officers take note of your nationality and how did that impact your arrest/detention? 

I was told very little about my rights! There was a lawyer at the first prison that just told me not to sign anything unless it was translated. They noted my nationality, but really, I was just told that worst case scenario I might be taken somewhere with lots of foreigners and where they all speak English, and that hopefully I’d be released soon. 

In how many facilities were you held and what were the conditions there? 

I went to five different places. 

After waiting in a van for 13 hours we were taken to the Istanbul Police Department. While there, I didn’t see much other than it was where our statements were taken. 

Taksim Police Station: This was the first time I started realizing it was going to be hell. There were two barred cells and people lying all over the floor. It was filthy with barely any light, and I feared that I would contract some sort of skin disease if I sat or laid down anywhere. So I stood for eight hours after having a sleepless night. 

I was then taken to Tuzla, about two hours away and this was the most disgusting place I have ever seen in my life. There were 3 bunk beds covered in moldy food droppings, maggots, and wreaked of urine and feces. It was just horrifying and I felt that if I had to sleep there I was truly going to die. It was really unbelievable. I would imagine that the prison had never been cleaned. The toilet had no door and it was in the room, which meant that the smell from it permeated the room. 

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Six hours later, we were loaded onto another bus and driven to Suliurfa. It was a 17-hour bus ride with no water and no food provided, and the bus itself had no air conditioning. Cables were tied around our wrists and we suffered the whole way there. After we arrived, they shoved us into a room with 30 people and mattresses strewn on the floor. Even though it was cleaner than Tuzla, it was definitely still gross. 

Lastly, we were taken to the Sanliurfa Detention Center which was cleaner but no less horrifying that I was being held captive and no one could help me. 

While in detention, what did you learn about the process of justice with regard to you and those with whom you were arrested under the same charge? Were you given an opportunity to contact legal counsel or ask for help from your country’s embassy in Turkey? 

Honestly, I wasn’t told anything. I still had no idea what was going on. I didn’t receive any legal advice and also it was also the start of a religious holiday which meant that from Tuesday to Sunday we were not going to see anyone or get any help. It was not until nine days after being arrested that I was able to pay for a call to speak to my dad and ask him to speak to the embassy. But the call was only two minutes long and therefore still didn’t know what was happening. 

Bittersweet Freedom

You mentioned that your friend, a refugee from Iran, is the one who helped you secure your freedom at long last. How did he do that? How, in your opinion, did both your arrests vary? 

His lawyers represented us! They were from Istanbul Pride and the UNHCR. They gave us more information, tried to speak to us as often as they could, and Elyas – my friend- translated everything for us. We were arrested for the exact same thing – walking in the streets and looking Gay! Elyas was in a quilt at the time of the arrest, which got him arrested. 

What, if anything, can you say about the re-elected Turkish President’s role in the changing attitude towards gender and sexual minorities in Turkey as you learned while in custody? 

He has no respect for our community. He is the worst thing to happen to Turkey and I fear for the lives of the LGBTQ community as he is slowly trying to silence the voice they have been working so hard to represent. 

 What would you tell those wishing to travel to Turkey? What sort of advice would you give them and what, in your opinion, should they know or look out for, if at all they decide to go?

Personally, don’t go if you are Gay. But if you still decide to go, travel in groups, make sure they are mixed groups, know your parents’ phone numbers, travel with your ID card, let someone know where you going, and finally, just avoid the police if you see them. 

What sort of fate do you fear awaits your friend and how can others help in this situation? 

My biggest fear is he will be deported back to Iran where he faces potential execution. We need to do something, please! We need any country to sponsor his refugee status to avoid this from happening. He doesn’t deserve this. 

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Please, please, please help my friend Elyas. I just want him to be safe! That’s all I can think about. 

_{Photos: Courtesy of Miguel Álvaro Pereira, Unsplash}