JEDDAH, 2 January 2007 — Saudi businessman Yassin Abdullah Al-Qadi yesterday reiterated that he had never supported any terrorist organization and urged the United States to remove his name from its blacklist of people financing terrorism.
“I request the US government, in view of its strong ties with Saudi Arabia, to remove my name from the list of persons whose accounts are frozen,” said Al-Qadi in a statement issued yesterday.
The statement came after a Geneva court exonerated Al-Qadi of all charges against him. The US and the United Nations froze Al-Qadi’s assets in the wake of Sept. 11 attacks after the FBI distributed a list of 39 individuals and groups suspected of financing terrorist organizations.
Al-Qadi said unfreezing his funds was essential to promote confidence between Saudi and American businessmen.
Al-Qadi, who is also a philanthropist, reiterated that his personal, business and charitable activities had no connection with any terrorist organization. “I did not support or intend to support any terrorist group in any form,” he said.
Following the court verdict on Dec. 12, Swiss judicial authorities decided to stop criminal investigations and judicial proceedings against the Saudi businessman.
Mansoor Al-Khunizan, the legal agent of Al-Qadi, said the Geneva court issued its verdict after six years of intensive investigations and contacts covering several countries, including the US, Britain, Saudi Arabia, Austria, Pakistan, Turkey, Albania and Canada. Swiss authorities began investigations into Al-Qadi’s activities in 2001.
“These investigations proved that Al-Qadi as well as his business and charitable activities were not involved in financing any terrorist group. As a result the Swiss authorities took measures to unfreeze Al-Qadi’s assets,” Al-Khunizan added.
A group of Al-Qadi’s lawyers in Europe and the US, in cooperation with Al-Khunizan, has sent a letter to the United Nations, requesting that the international organization review its decision on Al-Qadi and remove his name from the blacklist.
Al-Khunizan said Al-Qadi’s case has national significance “because he was unfairly included in the list of terror financiers as part of a move discredit Muslims, especially Saudis.”
He said the case in Geneva was the last against Al-Qadi. “By the grace of God, we have been successful in our legal battle and it has been categorically proved that Al-Qadi had never supported any terrorist organization,” he said.
“We are now trying to win a UN Security Council decision to remove Al-Qadi’s name from the list and we have presented a request in this respect through the Foreign Ministry,” Al-Khunizan added. He said now there was no justification for continuing the freeze on Al-Qadi’s assets.
