US Lawmakers Call for the Release of Khashoggi's lawyer from UAE Jails

Nearly a dozen American lawmakers have called on the US and UAE to address the arrest of ex-lawyer of Jamal Khashoggi Asim Ghafoor who was detained by the United Arab Emirates last week.

Asim Ghafoor was arrested on 14 July by Emirati authorities while transiting through Abu Dhabi on his way to attend a wedding in Istanbul, Turkey.

One day later, Ghafoor was sentenced to three years in prison on charges of money laundering and tax evasion.

However, rights sources considered the arrest as a politically motivated revenge for his association with Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed at Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

Muslim groups, rights organisations and a several American lawmakers have come together over the past several days demanding that the US call for Ghafoor's release.

Nearly a dozen US lawmakers, fincluding Ro Khanna, Ilhan Omar and Don Beyer, have issued statements in support of Ghafoor, and demanded his release as well as answers from Abu Dhabi.

Rights groups including Amnesty International and the Project for Middle East Democracy have also called on the Biden administration to urge his release.