​Dear President Biden,

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has illegally detained and sentenced U.S. Citizen and civil rights activist Asim Ghafoor, the former attorney for Jamal Khashoggi and board member of DAWN, to 3-years in prison.

On July 14, the UAE detained the late Jamal Khashoggi's close personal friend and lawyer, Asim Ghafoor. Ghafoor was connecting through Dubai International Airport while on his way to attend a family wedding in Istanbul. Ghafoor is an American civil rights lawyer who advocates for democracy and peace in the Middle East. He currently represents Khashoggi's fiancé Hatice Cengiz and advises her in her current litigation against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the killing of Khashoggi.

This arrest and arbitrary sentencing appear to be politically motivated by the UAE. I also urge you to cancel your meeting with UAE President Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ).

​​Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director of DAWN said, "We are outraged at the unjustified detention of our board member and extremely concerned for his health and physical security given the well-documented record of abuse in the UAE, including torture and inhuman treatment."

​Nihad Awad, National Executive Director of CAIR said, "This is what happens when our nation embraces authoritarian governments while ignoring their crimes against journalists, human rights activists, and political dissidents. President Biden must clearly and publicly demand that the UAE immediately release Asim Ghafoor, an American citizen, attorney, and widely respected civil rights activist who represented Jamal Khashoggi before the journalist's murder."

We urge you to take immediate action to ensure the swift release of Asim Ghafoor and to hold the UAE accountable for these actions.