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| Briton Matthew Hedges jailed for life on UAE spy charge | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A British PhD student has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of spying in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). | A British PhD student has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of spying in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). |
| Matthew Hedges, a 31-year-old academic at Durham University, denies the charge and said he was conducting research when he was arrested in Dubai on 5 May. | |
| A court in Abu Dhabi has declared him guilty of "spying for or on behalf of" the UK government. | |
| Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he was "disappointed" by the verdict. | |
| Click here for live updates | |
| Hedges' wife, Daniela Tejada who was present at the court room, said she was in "complete shock". | |
| She said: "Matthew is innocent. The Foreign Office know this and have made it clear to the UAE authorities that Matthew is not a spy for them. | |
| "This whole case has been handled appallingly from the very beginning with no one taking Matthew's case seriously." | |
| She said the British government "must take a stand now" and the UAE authorities "should feel ashamed for such an obvious injustice". | |
| Ms Tejada said her husband shook his head as the verdict was delivered, adding: "I am very scared for Matt. | |
| "I don't know where they are taking him or what will happen now. Our nightmare has gotten even worse." | |
| Mr Hunt said he had raised the case with the "highest levels of the UAE government" and the verdict "is not what we expect from a friend and trusted partner of the United Kingdom and runs contrary to earlier assurances". | |
| He also urged the UAE to reconsider the case. | |
| Mr Hunt said: "Our consular officials have been in close contact with Matthew Hedges and his family. | |
| "We will continue to do everything possible to support him." | |
| Middle East reporter Paul Blake said foreign media were barred from the five minute hearing earlier, he had no lawyer present and the sentence was revealed by the family. | |
| Hedges is said to be in a poor state of mental health, the BBC understands, and Ms Tejada has previously criticised the lack of treatment he received in prison. |