A state-aligned newspaper in the United Arab Emirates says a Plano man who was arrested for taking photographs at the Abu Dhabi International Airport has been fined and will be deported.
The National, an English-language newspaper in Abu Dhabi, reported on Monday that 59-year-old Joseph Lee must pay a 10,000-dirham ($2,700) fine.
The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi said it was aware of reports of Lee's detention. Abu Dhabi's Judicial Department did not respond to requests for comment.
Lee's family told NBC DFW on Nov. 22 that Lee was arrested after being pulled aside by security officials while transiting through Abu Dhabi after a 10-day vacation in Thailand with his son.
His son, Jonathan, said his father began taking photos as security officials were "treating him kind of unfairly in a rude manner."
The Lee family created an online petition to raise awareness to their story. As of publishing Monday, the petition had more than 1,800 signatures.
