Matthew and Grace Huang talk before they meet with the U.S. ambassador to Qatar, Dana Shell Smith, at a hotel in Doha, Qatar. A Qatari appeals court has overturned a ruling against the American couple over the death of their adopted daughter.(Photo: Osama Faisal, AP)
An appeals court in Qatar cleared an American couple in the death of their 8-year-old adopted daughter on Sunday, but they were barred from leaving the Persian Gulf nation after being told they were free to go.
The couple, Matthew and Grace Huang of Los Angeles, were allowed to leave after the ruling, but their passports were confiscated as they tried to pass through airport immigration control in the capital, Doha, said family representative Eric Volz, who is traveling with them.
The Huangs were found guilty of child endangerment following the January 2013 death of their adopted daughter Gloria, who was born in Ghana. They were sentenced to three years in prison in March of this year, but were free on bail pending the appeal.
They were not permitted to leave Qatar to be reunited with their two other African-born adopted children. Originally, the pair were jailed on murder charges. The appeals court ruled Sunday that they were free to leave after the presiding judge overturned their child endangerment conviction.
"It has been a long and emotional trial for me and my family, and Grace and I want to go home and be reunited with our sons," Matthew Huang told reporters after the ruling. "We have been unable to grieve our daughter."
They were met at the airport by U.S. Ambassador Dana Shell Smith, reflecting the American government's interest in the case.
"We are very, very happy to see justice delivered," Smith said as they entered the airport.
Not long afterward, the Huangs were stopped by immigration authorities. Volz said officials informed the couple that a new appeal has been filed in their case and that they were not allowed to leave.
"As you can imagine it's a very scary situation," Volz said.
A doctor in Qatar who conducted Gloria's autopsy determined that dehydration and wasting disease were the cause of death.
The Huangs said Gloria died of medical problems complicated by unusual eating habits that included periods of binging and self-starvation. Prosecutors alleged she died after being denied food and locked in her room.
Matthew Huang had been working in the booming, energy-rich nation as part of infrastructure improvements for Qatar's hosting of the 2022 World Cup.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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