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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/21/british-academic-matthew-hedges-accused-of-spying-jailed-for-life-in-uae
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| Matthew Hedges: British academic accused of spying jailed for life in UAE | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A British academic who was accused of spying for the UK government in the United Arab Emirates after travelling to Dubai to conduct research has been sentenced to life in jail. | |
| Matthew Hedges, 31, has been in a UAE prison for more than six months. The Durham University student, who went to the country to research his PhD thesis, was handed the sentence at an Abu Dhabi court in a hearing that lasted less than five minutes, and with no lawyer present. | |
| Hedges was detained in May at Dubai airport as he was leaving the country, and was held in solitary confinement for five months. | |
| The UAE attorney general, Hamad al-Shamsi, said Hedges was accused of “spying for a foreign country, jeopardising the military, political and economic security of the state”. | The UAE attorney general, Hamad al-Shamsi, said Hedges was accused of “spying for a foreign country, jeopardising the military, political and economic security of the state”. |
| Hedges denies the charges, and maintains that he was in the country to research the impact of the Arab spring on the UAE’s foreign policy. | |
| Hedges’ wife, Daniela Tejada, who was in court, said: “I am in complete shock and I don’t know what to do. 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. The British government must take a stand now for Matthew, one of their citizens. They say that the UAE is an ally, but the overwhelmingly arbitrary handling of Matt’s case indicates a scarily different reality, for which Matt and I are being made to pay a devastatingly high price. | |
| “This has been the worst six months of my life, let alone for Matt who was shaking when he heard the verdict. The UAE authorities should feel ashamed for such an obvious injustice. 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.” | |
| Britain’s foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, urged the UAE court to reconsider the sentence. | |
| “I am deeply shocked and disappointed by the verdict today,” he said. “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.” | |
| Hedges’ MP, Ben Bradshaw, spoke of his shock at the decision. He tweeted: | |
| Shocked & appalled by the life sentence passed on my innocent constituent, Matt Hedges, by a court in the UAE. Horrified by reports sentence passed at five minute hearing with no lawyer present. Am seeking urgent clarification & update from the FCO | |
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