( CNN ) -- An American imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates after posting a video that parodied Dubai teens will be released this week , a family spokeswoman said Tuesday . Shezanne Cassim plans to fly back to the United States on Thursday , family spokeswoman Jennifer Gore said . There was no immediate response to the family 's announcement from the UAE government , which has not replied to previous requests for comment on Cassim 's case . U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Tuesday that after getting credit against his one-year sentence for time served and `` for good behavior , '' Cassim was moved to a deportation facility for processing . `` We understand processing will take a few days , at which point he will be returning to the United States , '' Psaki said , adding that U.S. diplomats have visited Cassim regularly in custody and should do so again Wednesday . Cassim , 29 , of Woodbury , Minnesota , moved to Dubai in 2006 after graduating from college to work for PricewaterhouseCoopers . His family says the 29-year-old was arrested in April after uploading a 19-minute video that pokes fun at a clique of Dubai teens influenced by hip-hop culture . In December , he was sentenced to a year in prison and a fine of about $ 2,700 . The charges were not read in court , but the country 's main English-language newspaper reported that Cassim was accused of defaming the UAE 's image abroad . UAE officials would say only that Cassim `` was charged under the UAE 's penal code '' and was `` entitled to the fair trial protections contained in the UAE 's constitution . '' In the 1990s , the label `` Satwa G '' was coined for a group of suburban teens who were known to talk tougher than they really were . Cassim 's video depicts a look at a `` combat school '' in the Dubai district of Satwa , where these `` gangsters '' are trained . The training includes how to throw sandals at targets , use clothing accessories as whips and how to call on the phone for backup . Cassim 's family said they were n't notified of the charges against him for five months . American gets 1-year prison sentence for parody video . `` He tries to put on a brave face , '' his brother , Shervon Cassim , said in December . `` He said that he was doing fine , not to worry about him , but I could just sense that he 's a little depressed . My impression is that he 's going just a little bit crazy in his cell . '' Shervon Cassim said his brother made the video `` just for fun . '' `` He 's a big fan of 'SNL , ' 'Funny or Die , ' all those shows , and he and his friends just wanted to make a funny sketch comedy in their spare time , '' Shervon Cassim said . `` There was no indication in local law that making a comedy video , making fun of teenagers in the suburbs , was a threat to the UAE 's national security . '' The online comedy community Funny or Die , in fact , rallied to Cassim 's support , launching a # FreeShez campaign to correspond with U.N. Human Rights Day on December 10 . Cassim ended up serving nine months -- more than half of those before being charged -- before his recent move to a deportation facility , his family said in a statement . The family said it reached out to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry before his Mideast trip last week , with U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar also pushing for his release . `` The disregard for freedom of expression , the arbitrary application of this cybercrime law , the constant delays revealed the UAE legal system as archaic and unfair by modern standards , '' said Susan Burns , the family 's U.S.-based lawyer . `` However , we are relieved that the UAE finally realized that Shezanne deserved to be released . '' New Day Blog : Will Ferrell joins fight to free American Shezanne Cassim . CNN 's Jamie Crawford and Sara Sidner contributed to this report .
NEW : Cassim got credit for time served , good behavior , U.S. official says . NEW : Family lawyer blasts UAE 's `` archaic and unfair '' legal system . Shezanne Cassim plans to fly back to the United States on Thursday , family says . He was sentenced to a year in prison in the UAE for a parody video .