BOYCE F. MARTIN, JR., Circuit Judge. Plaintiffs Geoffrey N. Fieger, John L. Barlow, Bill Miller, Nancy Fisher, the law firm of Fieger, Fieger & Johnson, and the J.L. Barlow advertising firm brought a vindictive prosecution action against Michigan Attorney General Michael Cox, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Stephen J. Markman, Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Rand, and others in the Michigan Attorney General’s office. The district court found that the Younger abstention doctrine counseled against exercising jurisdiction where essentially the same issues were being raised in a state court proceeding, and dismissed each of the plaintiffs’ claims. Plaintiffs now appeal. For the reasons that follow, we AFFIRM the judgment of the district court.

McKEAGUE, Circuit Judge. In this asylum case, Ghazi Zoarab asks the court to give controlling weight to the unique circumstances of the monarchical government in the United Arab Emirates (the “U.A.E.”), where any expression against the integrity of a royal family member is said to constitute political expression. Contrary to Zoarab’s contention, however, there is little in the record to suggest that his comments about a soured business deal with a prince amounted to political speech. Accordingly, we deny his petition for review.