Jeddah, Sep 16 (Arab News): A court in the southern district of New York has acquitted Saudi businessman and philanthropist Yassin Abdullah Al-Qadi of terror-funding charges while giving its verdict in a case filed against him by the victims of 9/11 attacks.

“Al-Qadi has succeeded in having dismissed in their entirety the civil claims brought against him in the US on behalf of the families of the 9/11 victims,” a statement issued by the businessman’s lawyers said.

District Judge George Daniels ruled that the claim against Al-Qadi must be dismissed on the ground that the allegations made in the complaint were insufficient to state a claim. He further ruled that the court lacked any personal jurisdiction over Al-Qadi.

Speaking on the occasion, Al-Qadi described the move to incriminate him and others by accusing them of funding terrorism without any evidence as “a financial Guantanamo.”

“I am an innocent man. Whenever I have been given a fair opportunity to state my case I have been able to show that the allegations against me were untrue,” he said referring to his winning of several similar cases in the past years.

“I reiterate what I have said from the outset that in all my individual, business and charitable activities I have never supported, nor have I ever intended to support in any manner whatsoever, Osama Bin Laden or Al-Qaeda,” the Saudi businessman said.

“I, and others in the same position like me, are victims of a financial Guantanamo that shows no sign of ending as what was supposed to be a temporary measure becomes permanent,” he said.

“Time has proved my innocence. I have been patient and perseverant and always had great faith in God,” Al-Qadi told Arab News.

“This verdict totally negates the allegation that Saudi businessmen were involved in any terror activity. It would also make the world stop and reflect before accusing someone of terror activity without realizing its consequences,” he said. Al-Qadi added: “I condemn the actions of Al-Qaeda — both on Sept. 11, 2001 and since — without hesitation and I share the belief of both the American and the Saudi peoples that the terrorism represented by Al-Qaeda must be confronted.”

However, he pointed out that the struggle against terrorism would never be won if basic human rights are ignored, if people are denied the opportunity to demonstrate their innocence and if innocent people like him are wrongly targeted with no form of redress.

Al-Qadi’s successful defense of the civil proceedings in the US District Courts was conducted by David Geneson of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, Washington D.C. and Guy Martin, Cameron Doley and Maitre Saad Djebbar of Carter-Ruck Solicitors, London.

Al-Qadi is among numerous individuals, companies and governments in the Muslim world named as defendants in multiple civil proceedings brought in the US District Courts by the families of those killed in the 9/11 attacks.

It had been alleged that the named defendants were associated with Al-Qaeda and were therefore responsible, directly or indirectly, for the events of 9/11.

The proceedings have been generally referred to as the “three billion dollar claim,” reflecting the sum that the plaintiffs’ attorneys seek in damages.

A court in Geneva exonerated Al-Qadi from all charges in 2007. Following the court verdict on Dec. 12, 2007, Swiss judicial authorities decided to stop criminal investigations and judicial proceedings against the Saudi businessman.

A 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.

“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,” the legal agent said.

In August 2006, Turkey’s highest court, the Council of State, overturned a government order that resulted in the freezing of Al-Qadi’s assets.

In its judgment the Council of State found that no evidence had been presented linking Al-Qadi with Al-Qaeda and said that the Turkish government had acted unconstitutionally and that the order should be overturned.

The court also noted that in relation to the allegations, Al-Qadi had never been indicted or charged by a court of law anywhere in the world including the US.