Yemeni client receives U.S. political asylum

Client(s) Yemen applicant for asylum

Jones Day's Washington Office successfully obtained asylum for client A.F. before the Immigration Court in Arlington, Virginia. The Immigration Judge found that client A.F. had suffered past persecution at the hands of the Yemeni government for speaking out against the President of Yemen, and for organizing a demonstration opposing the Yemeni Government's leadership and policies. As a result of his expression of political opinion, he was arrested; held for two-and-a-half months without charges; suffered repeated torture; and was left physically and mentally battered. Client A.F. traveled between the United States and Yemen several times after his release from prison. After the Yemeni Government continued its persecution - attempting to assassinate him in 2006 and again in 2007, he fled Yemen in March 2007 and sought asylum in the United States.

At the conclusion of a three-and-a-half hour hearing, the Immigration Court granted client A.F.'s application for asylum. The government did not object to the grant of asylum, and waived its appeal. At the hearing, the Immigration Judge commented that the efforts put in by Jones Day were clearly quite extensive and remarked that this case was one where the involvement of lawyers made the difference in the outcome and thanked Jones Day for its dedication of resources to assist him.