Windsor man Salim Alaradi has been acquitted by the United Arab Emirates Supreme Court, but he has been taken back into custody.
His Canadian lawyer, Paul Champ says he was taken into custody by state security right after the judge read the verdict in his trial for collecting donations without state permission.
Champ says state security operates outside the law, so there may not be a legal recourse, but diplomats are working to secure his release.
"We're very hopeful that maybe this is an administrative issue and he'll be released tomorrow," he says. "But, we're looking for diplomatic pressure to be increased at this time."
The Free Salim Alaradi Twitter account says Canadian officials expected him to leave the courtroom a free man. Instead, he was taken back to prison with state security.
Very Happy but @freesalimaradi is not home yethttps://t.co/H6QNYMmDQ7#May30 #Freedom #cdnpoli #uae @JustinTrudeau pic.twitter.com/roYqcWZ6br
— Free Salim Alaradi (@freesalimaradi) May 30, 2016
Alaradi has spent the last 642 days in jail, initially facing terror-related charges. Those were dropped mid-trial in March and replaced with the lesser offences.
He was on vacation with his family in Dubai when he was suddenly arrested in August 2014.
Alaradi was among 10 men of Libyan origin detained around the same time — some of them have since been released.
Champ says for the first three months of his incarceration, the United Arab Emirates wouldn't even admit he was being held. When Canadian officials finally met with Alaradi in prison, they found injuries consistent with torture, and his daughter Marwa says he's suffered other health problems since.
"He had open heart surgery. He has asthma. Recently, we knew that my father had kidney stones from the dirty water that is in the prison."
She says doctors will assess Alaradi's health once he is released, and the family plans to bring him home to Windsor.
-- with files from The Canadian Press.