U.S. couple cleared to leave Qatar after child death case

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- An American couple cleared by a Qatari appeals court of wrongdoing in the death of their 8-year-old adopted daughter is finally set to leave the country, CBS News has confirmed.

U.S. Ambassador to Qatar Dana Shell Smith announced Tuesday that Qatar has informed her that all the requirements have been met and there will be no further appeal of Matthew and Grace Huang's case. They can leave Doha Wednesday.

"The United States applauds this decision, and we look forward to seeing the Huangs reunited with their children at home," said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in a statement.

On Sunday, the court in Qatar overturned a child endangerment conviction against the Huangs of Los Angeles over the death of their daughter, Gloria, and said they were free to leave the energy-rich OPEC nation.

But they were stopped at the airport hours later as they tried to depart, despite efforts by the U.S. ambassador herself to intervene.

The Huangs were arrested in January 2013 on murder charges following the death of their adopted daughter, Gloria, who was born in Ghana. They spent months in jail before being released on their own recognizance in November 2013, and then were convicted on a lesser charge of child endangerment and sentenced to three years in prison in March of this year.

The Huangs, who also have two African-born adopted sons, have not been allowed to leave the country since their arrest.

The case has raised concerns about whether cultural biases may have influenced the investigation. Western-style adoptions and cross-cultural families are rare in Qatar, and a report by Qatari police earlier raised questions about why the Huangs, who are of Asian descent, would adopt children who did not share their "hereditary traits." It also suggested that the children could have been part of a human trafficking operation or were bought for organ harvesting, according to the family's website.

The Huangs have maintained their innocence and say their daughter suffered from medical problems complicated by unusual eating habits that included periods of binging and self-starvation. Prosecutors alleged she died after being denied food and locked in her room.

The couple has made no public comment since shortly after their court hearing Sunday. Matthew Huang said then that he and his wife were looking forward to being reunited with their sons.

"It has been a long and emotional trial for me and my family," he said shortly after the ruling.