Manuel Guerrero Aviña: ‘I never thought I’d return home’

Manuel, who is living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, was also supported by HIV charities in the UK, after claims he had not been given regular access to his medication, which keeps the virus under control.

He said: “I had to beg on a daily basis to prison officers to try and get access to my medication.

“It was a really difficult time for me without access to my medication, because you’re worried about the effects on your health and it also has an impact on your mental health.”

Now back in the UK, Manuel says, he is receiving medical attention and slowly becoming more able to be his true self.

“It’s not about seeing symbols everywhere like rainbows or flags,” he said.

“It’s more that it feels amazing to be able to recover some of the small things that you don’t realise you’ve lost until you have them back.

“Things like seeing people holding hands in the street, being able to be affectionate with my friends without thinking about how we’re interacting, being able to do that without it being behind closed doors.”