Article Author:
Reuters
Alexander Cornwell
Dubai — United Arab Emirates court lifts jail sentence but convicts US citizen and civil rights attorney Asim Gafoor of money laundering charges upheld the judgment. The Justice Department and Gahoor's lawyers said Wednesday that he was detained while transiting Dubai last month.
The court paid Gahoor his 5 million dirham ($1.36 million) fine and his ordered the confiscation of his 18 million dirhams in his account. But he removed a three-year prison sentence from a previous sentence handed down in absentia in May, lawyer Habib Al Mulla told Reuters.
Abu Dhabi's Anti-Money Laundering and Tax Evasion Court also ordered him deported from Gahoor, the emirate's justice ministry said in a statement posted on its Twitter account. The prison sentence was rescinded, confirming that Gahool faced fines and confiscation of funds. The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Ghafoor, who helped found a human rights group with the murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, was detained at Dubai International Airport based on an absentee court conviction. Request for assistance from US authorities.
On Monday, his UAE embassy in Washington said an Emirati investigation found that Gahoor had made at least $4.9 million in international transfers through his UAE banking system, He said he was found guilty of tax evasion and money laundering.
His July 14 absentee trial and his detention while US President Joe Biden was visiting the area drew criticism from human rights groups and some members of Congress.
The United States did not confirm that it had requested an investigation by the emirate, and said Gahoor was not detained at Washington's request.
Ghafour's supporters say Ghafour is unaware of the charges, and some US lawmakers have suggested the arrest may be political, and in 2018 It mentions his ties to Khashoggi, who was murdered by Saudi agents in Turkey.
UAE authorities have consistently described the incident strictly as one of financial crime. They did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Reuters on Tuesday about the allegations that Mr. Gafoor's ties to Mr. Khashoggi may have been a factor.
US intelligence agencies say Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman authorized the operation in which Khashoggi was killed. The crown prince denies his involvement. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are close allies.
According to Ghafoor's website, Ghafoor helped Khashoggi found the US-based rights group Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) in 2018 and its board member. is a member of the association.
DAWN had sought his immediate release, saying the May conviction was obtained without due process, a criticism raised by members of Congress.
The UAE Embassy said that since his arrest, Gafoor has been in regular contact with due process, local lawyers, family members and US consular officials. ($1 = 3.6727 UAE dirhams) (reporting by Alexander Cornwell; additional reporting by Lilian Wagdy in his Cairo; editing by Toby Chopra, Peter Graff, Mark Heinrich)
