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Ambassador: Qatar lifts travel ban on American couple after court ruling Kerry: Qatar lifts travel ban on American couple after cleared in daughter’s death
(about 1 hour later)
An American couple is free to leave Qatar after being cleared of wrongdoing in the death of their 8-year-old adopted daughter, the U.S. ambassador said in a statement Tuesday. An American couple is free to leave Qatar after being cleared of wrongdoing in the death of their 8-year-old adopted daughter, Secretary of State John F. Kerry said Tuesday.
A Twitter post from Ambassador Dana Shell Smith said that “no further appeal” is needed and the “travel ban” will be lifted by the Persian Gulf state. Smith said the couple, Matthew and Grace Huang, could leave as early as Wednesday. A statement from Kerry said “no further appeal” will be filed by authorities in the Persian Gulf state and the travel ban will be lifted on Wednesday.
An appeals court overturned the couple’s convictions on Sunday over the girl’s death in January 2013. But they were blocked from leaving the country the following day. The couple, Matthew and Grace Huang, “will be free to travel,” the statement said.
The Huangs were arrested shortly after the death on murder charges following the death of their adopted daughter, Gloria, who was born in Ghana. “The United States applauds this decision,” it added.
The couple claims the girl had medical problems including giardia, a parasitic condition that sometimes results in a long-term impairment of the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from food. Prosecutors had claimed the girl was starved and locked in her room. An appeals court overturned the couple’s convictions on Sunday over the January 2013 death of the girl, Gloria, who was born in Ghana. But the couple was blocked from leaving the country on Monday.
The couple claims the girl had medical problems including giardia, a parasitic condition that sometimes results in a long-term impairment of the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from food. Prosecutors alleged the girl was starved and locked in her room.
The couple, who also have two African-born adopted sons, moved to Qatar after Matthew Huang accepted an engineer job related to preparations for Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup.The couple, who also have two African-born adopted sons, moved to Qatar after Matthew Huang accepted an engineer job related to preparations for Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup.
Secretary of State John F. Kerry had said he was “deeply concerned” about delays in allowing the couple to leave the country. Earlier, Kerry had said he was “deeply concerned” about delays in allowing the couple to leave the country.
Several advocacy groups, including the California Innocence Project, had rallied behind the couple. Several advocacy groups, including the California Innocence Project, had rallied behind the couple. Supporters contended that the couple’s case may have been complicated by cultural misunderstandings because mixed-race families are virtually unknown in the Gulf.
Carol Morello in Brussels contributed to this report.