Briton Matthew Hedges sentenced to life in prison in UAE for spying

British student Matthew Hedges has been sentenced to life in prison in the United Arab Emirates for spying.

Mr Hedges, 31, a Durham University PhD student, had been detained as he was leaving Dubai Airport on 5 May.

Authorities said his research in the country for his thesis on security policies after the Arab Spring was a “cover” for carrying out surveillance for a “foreign agency”, thought to be the UK government.

There had been hopes that he would be granted freedom after he was released on bail at the end of last month.

The UAE’s federal court of appeal had postponed hearing his case until Wednesday to re-examine its evidence, with Mr Hedges allowed out of jail without his passport until the hearing date.

A family spokeswoman confirmed he had been sentenced to life and said the hearing lasted less than five minutes, with his lawyer not present.

His wife Daniela Tejada, who was in the court room to witness the handing down of the sentence, said in a statement: “I am in complete shock and I don’t know what to do.

“Matthew is innocent. The Foreign Office know this and they have made it clear to the UAE authorities that Matthew is not a spy for them.

“The British government must take a stand now for Matthew, one of their citizens. They say the UAE is an ally, but the overwhelmingly arbitrary handling of Matthew’s case indicates a scarily different reality, for which Matt and I are being made to pay a devastatingly high price.”

A life sentence in the UAE includes a maximum of 25 years in jail. Mr Hedges has the right to appeal within the next 30 days.

It is understood he was also ordered to pay his own costs.

Theresa May told MPs in parliament: “We are of course deeply disappointed and concerned at today’s verdict. We are raising it with the Emirati authorities at the highest level.”

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who along with minister of state for the Middle East Alistair Burt has travelled to the UAE to make representations on Mr Hedges’ behalf, said he was “deeply shocked” by the sentence.

He said: “I am deeply shocked and disappointed by the verdict today. I have personally raised the case of Matthew Hedges at the highest levels of the UAE government, including during my visit to Abu Dhabi on 12 November.

“On that occasion, I spoke to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed.

“However, today’s verdict is not what we expect from a friend and trusted partner of the United Kingdom and runs contrary to earlier assurances.

“Our consular officials have been in close contact with Matthew Hedges and his family. We will continue to do everything possible to support him.

“I have repeatedly made clear that the handling of this case by the UAE authorities will have repercussions for the relationship between our two countries, which has to be built on trust. I regret the fact that we have reached this position and I urge the UAE to reconsider.”

Ms Tejada last month expressed concern for his safety, saying he was being held in solitary confinement at an undisclosed location with limited access to the British consulate and his family.

A translation from the Arabic by Abu Dhabi’s English language newspaper The National of a statement issued by the court said: “The Federal Appeals Court of Abu Dhabi sentenced Matthew Hedges, 31, to life imprisonment after being convicted of spying on the UAE and providing sensitive security and intelligence information to third parties.

“The court also ruled that he would be deported from the country after the execution of the sentence and would be charged the costs of the legal case.

“The court ordered the confiscation of all his equipment, devices, research and studies.”

The UAE’s attorney general Dr Anwar Gargash previously said in a tweet: “Case of Mathew Hedges extensively discussed with UK colleagues over last 5 months. Unusual & embarrassing revelations about friends & allies. With reluctance of UK authorities to address matter thru common channels,due legal process needs to take its course.”

Ms Tejada told Sky News last month Mr Hedges had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression and had been due to start non-medicated treatment on his return to the UK.

He was said to be vomiting on a daily basis, due to the stress.

(c) Sky News 2018: Briton Matthew Hedges sentenced to life in prison in UAE for spying