US appeals UAE money laundering conviction, lawyer says

DUBAI, Aug. 19 (Reuters) – U.S. citizenship and civil rights lawyer Asim Ghafoor has appealed his money-laundering conviction in a United Arab Emirates court, his lawyer said on Friday. Released from there and returned to U.S. state a week later.

Ghafoor, who has maintained his innocence, paid a fine last week before being released after an Abu Dhabi court upheld an earlier conviction for money laundering in absentia but vacated his jail term.

“We have filed an appeal today,” lawyer Habib Almura told Reuters.

UAE officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the appeal.

In July, the UAE detained Ghafoor while transiting through Dubai airport after being convicted in absentia for money laundering and tax evasion, after what Emirati officials said was a 2020 request for assistance from U.S. authorities. Ghafoor’s supporters say he was unaware of the allegations until he was detained at the airport.

U.S. officials have not confirmed the request but said the Emiratis detained Cavour voluntarily.

Following Ghafoor’s detention, Emirati officials said an investigation found he had illegally transferred at least $4.9 million through the UAE banking system. An Abu Dhabi court upheld the conviction and ordered the funds to be forfeited.

Ghafoor’s supporters and U.S. lawmakers said he was denied due process and suggested the arrest could be related to his work with Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist murdered by Saudi agents in 2018, and 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.

The length of Gafoor’s detention also drew criticism from some members of the U.S. Congress last month when U.S. President Joe Biden visited the region.

Emirati officials have repeatedly said that the case against Ghafoor is all about financial crime and that he has been given due process since he was detained at Dubai airport.

Reporting by Alexander Cornwell Editing by Francis Kerry

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