US lawyer convicted of money laundering in UAE to pay fine – lawyer

DUBAI, Aug 12 (Reuters) – U.S. citizenship and civil rights lawyer Asim Ghafoor, who was convicted this week on money laundering charges in the United Arab Emirates, has maintained his innocence but will pay $1.36 million the court fine so that he can be released. detention, his lawyer said Friday.

On Wednesday, a court upheld Ghafoor’s earlier default sentence, ordering him to pay a fine, but vacating a three-year prison sentence handed down in May.

“We plan to pay the fine so he can be released,” said Habib Al Mulla, a lawyer representing Ghafoor. “We continue to claim his innocence.”

It is unclear when the fine will be paid.

Emirati officials had no immediate comment.

The U.S. embassy in Abu Dhabi did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ghafoor, who lives in Virginia, was detained on July 14 while transiting at Dubai airport on charges of money laundering and tax evasion in May following a request for assistance from U.S. authorities in 2020.

The Abu Dhabi judiciary said on Wednesday that courts had also seized funds that were illegally moved through the country. He will also be deported, it said. Almullah said the court confiscated Dh18 million ($4.9 million).

U.S. officials have not confirmed the request for assistance, but said the arrests were not at the request of Washington.

U.S. media reports say Gafoor has come under U.S. surveillance in the past for representing Muslim Americans in civil rights cases.

Last month, U.S. President Joe Biden’s trial and detention in absentia drew criticism from human rights groups and some members of Congress when he visited the region.

Ghafoor’s supporters say he was denied due process and was unaware of the charges until he was detained.

Some also suggested the arrest may have been politically motivated, citing his ties to Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered by Saudi agents in Turkey in 2018, and who worked with rights groups critical of the UAE.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the killing of Khashoggi, U.S. intelligence said. The prince denied involvement. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are close allies.

UAE officials have repeatedly said that the case against Ghafoor is all about financial crime.

(1 USD = 3.6727 UAE Dirham)

Reporting by Alexander Cornwell; Editing by Mike Harrison

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