USA/FILE: Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Pakistan and the former director of the Kashmiri American Council in Washington gets two-year U.S. prison term in lobbying case

Record ID: 873439

  • Title: USA/FILE: Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Pakistan and the former director of the Kashmiri American Council in Washington gets two-year U.S. prison term in lobbying case
  • Date: 31st March 2012
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) NINA GINSBERG, LAWYER, SAYING: "I think it's clear if you look at anything that Dr. Fai ever said or wrote that he was never in any way a voice for the government of Pakistan, and I'm disappointed that they tried to convince the judge that that was the case and that that should be an aggravating factor in terms of the length of his sentence. But Dr. Fai's message will always be Dr. Fai's message. People who listen know, and you have to take comfort in that." LAWYER NINA GINSBERG WALKING AWAY FROM COURTHOUSE EXTERIOR OF COURTHOUSE
  • Embargoed: 15th April 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAC5G0E40XBCVUJM7J3O31Y9AB1
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: A U.S. judge on Friday (March 30) gave an American of Kashmiri origin a two-year prison sentence after he admitted secretly receiving millions of dollars from Pakistan and its spy service while lobbying in the United States.
    Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, 62, a naturalized U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty in December to conspiracy and tax violations dating back to 1990 for a scheme to conceal some $3.5 million that came from Pakistan to fund his lobbying efforts over the disputed territory of Kashmir.
    U.S. District Judge Liam O'Grady in Alexandria, Virginia, handed down the prison sentence for Fai, to be followed by three years of probation. Prosecutors had urged the judge to sentence him to four years in prison while Fai argued he should be sentenced to home confinement.
    Fai served as the executive director of the Kashmiri American Council, which described itself as a nonprofit organization run by Kashmiris and funded by Americans.
    "I fight a worthy fight, which is the freedom of Kashmir," Fai told reporters outside the courthouse in Virginia. "And I sacrifice for a worthy cause that's the independence of Kashmir."
    But U.S. authorities have said some of the Kashmiri American Council's money came from Pakistan's intelligence service, known as the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency or ISI, and that he failed to register as an agent of a foreign government as required under U.S. law.
    Prosecutors said Fai tried to draw the attention of U.S. officials to India's actions in the disputed territory of Kashmir and away from Pakistan's own actions in the divided mountain area. The two nations have fought two wars over it.
    Lawyer Nina Ginsberg said Fai's sentence was "harsh."
    "I think it's clear if you look at anything that Dr. Fai ever said or wrote that he was never in any way a voice for the government of Pakistan, and I'm disappointed that they tried to convince the judge that that was the case and that that should be an aggravating factor in terms of the length of his sentence," said Ginsberg.
    The Pakistani government has denied any knowledge of Fai's activities.
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