(updated with State Department statement March 29)
In a case that has received international attention from the New York Times and the California Innocence Project, an Asian American couple has been sentenced in a Qatari court to 3 years in the death of their adopted Ghanian daughter, reports Uptown.
They are accused of depriving the eight-year old of food and water in a case prosecutors originally built around the question: why would an Asian couple want to adopt African children as their own.
Grace and Matthew Huang moved to Qatar in 2012 from Los Angeles for Matthew’s job as an engineer.
The family has two other adopted children from Africa and prosecutors suspected them of child trafficking.
The Huangs plan to appeal their verdict.
At a news briefing, the State Department’s Marie Harf made the following statement:
“We do understand that on March 27th U.S. citizens Matthew and Grace Huang were convicted and sentenced to three years in prison, fined, and ordered to be deported from Qatar upon completion of their sentence. And we were surprised and disappointed by the trial court’s decision. The embassy in Doha has been providing consular assistance to both of them since their arrest. We visited them during detention, regularly attended their court hearings, including the most recent hearings, and the delivery of the verdict.
“As I said yesterday, we have had some concerns throughout the trial by indications that not all of the evidence was weighed by the court, and that some cultural misunderstandings may have led to an unfair trial. We have talked to the government about this. We will continue to. And I do believe there is some sort of appeal process.”
