US Says There Is No Indication Of Arresting Its Citizens In The UAE Over The Murder Of Journalist Jamal Kashoggi

Illustration of the struggle for justice for the late Jamal Kashoggi (Wikimedia Commons/April Brady/Project on Middle East Democracy)

JAKARTA - The United States Department of State on Monday said it had seen no indication at this time the detention of a United States person in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was related to ties to slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

"But we're still gathering information," State Department spokesman Ned Price said.

UAE authorities last week detained Asim Ghafoor, a US citizen and civil rights lawyer, who previously served as lawyer for Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist who was assassinated in 2018 at the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul.

US intelligence says Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the operation targeting Khashoggi. Prince denied involvement. Meanwhile, Ghafoor's detention coincided with US President Joe Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia.

Price said US Embassy officials had been observing Ghafoor's virtual court hearing on Monday.

"We have expressed our hope to our Emirati partners that Mr Ghafoor receives continued consular access, that he is provided with a fair and transparent legal process and that he is treated humanely," Price said.

Separately, a UAE Government official said on Monday, the United States had investigated Ghafoor for money laundering and tax evasion, and asked the UAE in 2020 for help and information.

The UAE then began its own investigation, the UAE official said, which "established sufficient evidence of criminal violations of the UAE's anti-money laundering and tax laws."

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the US Department of Justice declined to comment on "communications with foreign governments regarding investigative matters, including confirming or denying the existence of such communications."

Ghafoor was later convicted of tax evasion and money laundering at the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court, sentenced to three years in prison, a fine of 3 million UAE dirhams, and deportation on May 25, 2022, UAE officials said.

"Mr. Ghafoor reserves the right to appeal his conviction and sentence," the official said.