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LONDON (Reuters) – The United Arab Emirates announced on Friday that a British academic sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of spying could be released after his family appealed for clemency in a case that strained the ties between his long-time allies.
Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates, Sulaiman Hamid Almazroui, addressing the media at the United Arab Emirates Embassy in London, November 23, 2018. REUTERS / Toby Melville
Matthew Hedges, 31, was sentenced Wednesday for espionage on behalf of the British government, which was described as deeply disappointing by Premier Theresa May.
"Mr. Hedges' family has applied for clemency and the government is considering this request," said United Arab Emirates Ambassador to London Sulaiman Hamid Almazroui.
"We have an extremely close partnership with the UK," he told reporters. "Because of the strength of this relationship, we hope that an amicable solution can be found."
The Ph.D. student from Durham University has been in detention since May 5, when he was arrested at Dubai International Airport after a two-week research visit.
"We have asked for clemency, we will wait to see what happens," Hedges' wife Daniela Tejada told Reuters after the ambassador spoke. She denies that he is a spy.
His family described him as a talented researcher who was guilty of the UAE's security and justice system. The United Arab Emirates has described it as a British spy who had been granted a fair trial for serious espionage offenses.
"We hope that the UAE is now favorably considering the family's request for clemency," said a spokeswoman for Britain's foreign ministry.
SORRY
The state of the Gulf does not dictate its verdicts and there has been a full and proper judicial process in the Hedges case, said the ambassador. There has been no "five-minute show", he said, reported by some media.
"It was an extremely serious case. We live in a dangerous neighborhood and national security must be a top priority, "Almazroui said, adding that everyone had the right to ask for forgiveness.
"It was an unusual case: many researchers visit the UAE freely every year without breaking our laws," he said.
Hedges' family stated that the evidence presented against him consisted of notes from his research.
"Matt has been held in an undisclosed location for more than five months, without charge, without a lawyer and with very limited consular access," said his wife.
"The judicial system of the UAE and the United Kingdom can not be compared. I was in the courtroom and the hearing lasted less than 5 minutes, "she added.
A life sentence for a non-emirati carries a maximum penalty of 25 years imprisonment followed by deportation, according to official UAE media.
Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt warned that the verdict could hurt relations with the UAE.
Edited by Alistair Smout and Stephen Addison, William Maclean
