"We are outraged at the unjustified detention of our board member and extremely concerned for his health and physical security given the well-documented record of abuse in the UAE, including torture and inhuman treatment," Sarah Leah Whitson, the executive director of DAWN, said Friday. "We urge the Biden administration to secure the release of an arbitrarily detained American lawyer before agreeing to meet with the UAE's leader [Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan] in Jeddah tomorrow."

US officials had said earlier Saturday they were "aware" of reports Ghafoor had been detained in the UAE but declined to offer any other details on his arrest.

"I will say there's no indication that it has anything to do with Khashoggi, or anything else. But we are aware of it," a senior US administration official said.

When President Joe Biden met with UAE's President Sheikh Mohammed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, both leaders ignored shouted questions about Khashoggi's former lawyer. Biden publicly invited the UAE leader to Washington before the end of the year.

Another administration official said the US raised Ghafoor's detention "at senior levels with Emirati authorities" and "requested additional information" on his situation.

Consular officers from the US Embassy visited with Ghafoor Saturday, the senior US administration official said.

"We are outraged at the unjustified detention of our board member and extremely concerned for his health and physical security given the well-documented record of abuse in the UAE, including torture and inhuman treatment," Sarah Leah Whitson, the executive director of DAWN, said Friday. "We urge the Biden administration to secure the release of an arbitrarily detained American lawyer before agreeing to meet with the UAE's leader [Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan] in Jeddah tomorrow."

US officials had said earlier Saturday they were "aware" of reports Ghafoor had been detained in the UAE but declined to offer any other details on his arrest.

"I will say there's no indication that it has anything to do with Khashoggi, or anything else. But we are aware of it," a senior US administration official said.

When President Joe Biden met with UAE's President Sheikh Mohammed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, both leaders ignored shouted questions about Khashoggi's former lawyer. Biden publicly invited the UAE leader to Washington before the end of the year.

Another administration official said the US raised Ghafoor's detention "at senior levels with Emirati authorities" and "requested additional information" on his situation.

Consular officers from the US Embassy visited with Ghafoor Saturday, the senior US administration official said.