A demonstrator holds a picture of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a protest outside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey October 5, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal
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July 17 (Reuters) – Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have detained Asim Ghafoor, a U.S. citizen and civil rights lawyer who previously represented slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the US-based human rights group DAWN, on whose board Ghafoor serves, said is a member.
A UAE government official confirmed that Ghafoor was arrested while transiting through Dubai International Airport on July 14 on charges related to a money laundering conviction in absentia, according to evidence heard by the Emirati courts.
A senior US administration official had told reporters earlier on Saturday that the United States was aware but could not say whether President Joe Biden would raise the issue in bilateral talks with the UAE president on the sidelines of an Arab summit in Saudi Arabia .
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“There is no indication that this has anything to do with the Khashoggi issue,” the official added.
Saudi journalist Khashoggi was killed by Saudi agents in 2018 at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul in an operation that US intelligence said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved. The prince denies involvement.
Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) said in a statement on Friday that Ghafoor, a civil rights attorney based in Virginia, was on his way to Istanbul to attend a family wedding.
The Emirati official, in response to a Reuters request for comment, said the UAE had granted the US embassy’s request for a consular visit and that because the original trial was held in absentia, Ghafoor was allowed to request a retrial.
“A request was received and granted, as a result of which the case has been reopened and appropriate legal proceedings are underway,” the official said.
DAWN quoted US consular officials as saying the lawyer was being held at a detention center in Abu Dhabi and that Ghafoor had said he was unaware of any legal cases against him.
It said the sentence was obtained “without due process” and called for his immediate release.
Human rights groups say the UAE has jailed hundreds of activists, academics and lawyers in unfair trials on broad charges.
The UAE has rejected such accusations as baseless and said it is committed to human rights under the country’s charters.
Biden said he would raise the issue of human rights during his trip to the region, which ended Saturday.
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Reporting by Ghaida Ghantous and Jarrett Renshaw Editing by Mark Potter and Raju Gopalakrishnan
Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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