(New Arab) Rights groups in the United States are warning civil society activists against travelling or transiting through the United Arab Emirates after the detention of US civil rights attorney Asim Ghafoor.
Ghafoor, a Virginia-based civil rights lawyer who represented murdered Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and serves on the board of Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), was arrested while transiting through the UAE earlier this month while on his way to a family wedding in Istanbul.
In a public statement, DAWN said Ghafoor’s detention was based on “politically motivated” charges.
“UAE officials routinely use the country’s legal system to intimidate, persecute, and punish its critics,” the pro-democracy and human rights group stated.
