Cherie Blair and Crowell & Moring Collaborate to Counter Kuwaiti Injustice

London – June 19, 2019: A team led by human rights attorney Cherie Blair and lawyers from Crowell & Moring continues to fight to bring justice for Marsha Lazareva and Saeed Dashti, prominent business executives caught up in a case fraught with political motivations and legal irregularities. 

Blair discussed their plight on BBC Newsnight program on Friday, June 14. The pair were held in a Kuwaiti jail for nearly 16 months until Lazareva, CEO and Vice Chairman of KGL Investment, was released last week. The legal team is working to reunite Lazareva with her 4-year-old son Yvan, a U.S. citizen. Her co-defendant Saeed Dashti remains behind bars six weeks after their convictions were quashed by the Kuwait Court of Appeal.

The pair endured prolonged incarceration and the unprecedented application of legal measures and bail thresholds seemingly designed to keep them imprisoned and further delay their release.

“At long last, justice and common sense are beginning to prevail. Having been wrongfully imprisoned for what is approaching 500 days, Marsha’s release – and reuniting with her young son – was long overdue. The imposition of wholly irregular legal enforcement action has been frustrating, to say the least,” said Crowell & Moring partner David Hammond. “Our work is far from over, but we are pleased that reasonable logic and the rule of law are starting to supplant the gratuitous application of unwarranted punitive action which Marsha and Saeed have had to endure up to this point.”

The unsubstantiated fraud charges are seemingly motivated by a small group of individuals with ulterior motives. The case has been mired by unnecessary delays and bail set at extraordinary levels.

The extent of the injustice the two executives are facing has prompted an international reaction, with leading diplomatic figures including Cherie Blair, Lord Carlile, Neil Bush (son of US President George H.W. Bush), Louie Freeh (former FBI Director), and Tatyana Yumasheva (daughter of Russian President Boris Yeltsin) rallying together in the name of justice.

The team continues to work around the clock to bring justice for co-defendant Saeed Dashti.

Cherie Blair, QC, comments: “Given that Marsha’s underlying conviction has been quashed, it is about time she was released; her detention has been arbitrary and totally unwarranted. Finally, she can be reunited with her family. This is certainly not the end of the road, but it is a step in the right direction.”

About Crowell & Moring LLP

Crowell & Moring LLP is an international law firm with approximately 550 lawyers representing clients in litigation and arbitration, regulatory, and transactional matters. The firm is internationally recognized for its representation of Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes litigation, as well as its ongoing commitment to pro bono service and diversity. The firm has offices in Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, London, and Brussels.