Michigan Arab businessman says he's trapped in Qatar

WKAR Public Media

Published March 18, 2011 at 5:42 PM EDT

By AP

DETROIT –
A prominent Arab-American businessman from Michigan who says he's an "economic hostage" in Qatar has enlisted U.S. lawmakers and diplomats to help him leave the Persian Gulf nation.

Forty-six-year-old Nasser Beydoun says he plans to meet Sunday with the U.S. ambassador to Qatar. Democratic U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow also sent a letter to the Qatari Embassy in Washington to press for his release.

Beydoun joined a Qatari investment group in 2007 to open restaurants in the Middle East. The U.S. citizen from Dearborn says he's been unable to leave for more than a year because of a dispute with his former employer but has prevailed in a labor case and two appeals.

The Associated Press sent e-mails to company executives. Qatari officials didn't respond to requests for comment.

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