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The authorities in Abu Dhabi and Dubai may, however, regret the condemnation of British researcher Matthew Hedges in the United Arab Emirates for espionage, and pressure is mounting in the academic and political spheres of the United Kingdom for measures to be taken. retaliation against the country. is generally considered a close ally.
Hedges was arrested in May while he was trying to leave the Dubai International Airport after a two-week search trip. He was then held in solitary confinement for several months, with limited access to legal or consular assistance and very limited access to his family. On November 21, he was convicted of espionage by the Federal Court of Appeal in Abu Dhabi and sentenced to life imprisonment at the end of the year. a five-minute hearing.
Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said that Hedges pleaded guilty and "confessed in detail to his crimes during investigations". The details of the case against him have not yet been made public. The decision horrified the family of Hedges and his colleagues who denied outright that Hedges could have spied on and insisted that he was simply doing normal university research. All confessions, they say, must have been extracted under pressure.
British academic Matt Hedges photographed with his wife Daniela TejadaPhoto courtesy of Daniela Tejada
The first concern is the well-being of Hedges. Professor John Williams, Director of the School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University, where Hedges was preparing his Ph.D., said, "We are extremely worried about Matt's well-being. He is an innocent man … the trial has neither legitimacy nor credibility and his state of health is not good ".
But there are also broader implications. The Gulf Studies Center of the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies of the University of Exeter has described it as "a alarming day for human rights. "Karen Young, resident researcher at the American Enterprise Institute, tweeted that the sentence would include a"cooling effect on the research community, dialogue and interpersonal connections.
In the United Arab Emirates, some have tried to minimize the risk that this case will damage the country's international reputation. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a prominent local commentator (who himself was arrested by the authorities), previously argues that the UAE's reputation is "rock solid" despite the arrest of Hedges.
However, the reality is that the name of the country is now stained in the eyes of many observers. An example of this came from an unusually strong statement by British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt following the verdict.
"I am deeply shocked and disappointed by the verdict," he said. "The verdict today is not what we expect from a friend and trusted UK partner and goes against previous assurances … J & # I have often indicated that the handling of this affair by the UAE authorities would have repercussions on relations between our two countries. . "
It remains to be determined what the consequences will be, but the UK may put pressure on the UAE in a number of areas. One of these areas was raised by Conservative backbencher Crispin Blunt – a former chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee – at the time of the House of Commons questions. Prime Minister on November 21st. "The action is totally incompatible with the behavior of a country with which we have a mutual defense agreement … If it is not released, I do not see why we should engage to defend it, "he told the House of Commons.
The situation is particularly relevant for UK universities, at least 12 of which have satellite campuses in the United Arab Emirates. To date, no one has yet announced whether it is considering changing its strategy to reflect the Hedges case.
A spokeswoman for Heriot-Watt University said, "We take the safety of all our staff and students very seriously and their safety is absolutely paramount. Our staff and students are encouraged to follow current advice issued by the UK Government's Foreign and Commonwealth Office and to abide by local laws and customs at all times. "
At the time of this story, other third-level institutions in the United Arab Emirates had not responded to requests for comment, including Bath Spa University, the University of Birmingham, the University of Bolton, Bradford University, City University, London Business School. , University of Manchester, Middlesex University, Sterling University, University of Strathclyde and University of West London.
Some academics and departments have expressed their shock at the fate of Hedges, but the sector as a whole does not seem yet inclined to change approach.
Vivienne Stern, director of Universities UK International, which represents British universities, said in a statement: "British academics work in many countries around the world where academic freedom is not always respected. We think it's important that they can do it. But the statement did not suggest that British universities could or should do anything to change their approach.
While the academic authorities have been slow to respond, others are acting, including members of the University of Universities and Colleges (UCU), which represents more than 120,000 academics, lecturers, postgraduate students and members of the University. United Kingdom university staff. UCU members at the University of Birmingham have stated that they would refuse to engage on the campus of the university in Dubai, in the context of longstanding complaints concerning the failure of the university to defend human rights and academic freedom.
The union said its members overwhelmingly supported the motion following Hedges' conviction and after "months of frustration trying to convince the university to take its responsibilities seriously in the UAE." UCU Birmingham Chapter President James Brackley said his members were "scandalized" by the sentence against Hedges and urged the university to "seriously engage with us to ensure safety and security." academic freedom of staff and students of Dubai ".
Radha Stirling, director of Detained in Dubai, said she was advising the academic community to suspend her research trips to the UAE. Others called for a wider boycott. The famous historian Sir Antony Beever said that he would no longer attend the Emirates Literature Festival in Dubai in March and urged other writers to do the same.
Meanwhile, Hedges' family and friends continue to press the UAE for release. A petition Calling on the UAE authorities to release him promptly garnered several thousand signatures.
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The authorities in Abu Dhabi and Dubai may, however, regret the condemnation of British researcher Matthew Hedges in the United Arab Emirates for espionage, and pressure is mounting in the academic and political spheres of the United Kingdom for measures to be taken. retaliation against the country. is generally considered a close ally.
Hedges was arrested in May while he was trying to leave the Dubai International Airport after a two-week search trip. He was then held in solitary confinement for several months, with limited access to legal or consular assistance and very limited access to his family. On November 21, he was convicted of espionage by the Federal Court of Appeal in Abu Dhabi and sentenced to life imprisonment at the end of the year. a five-minute hearing.
Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said that Hedges pleaded guilty and "confessed in detail to his crimes during investigations". The details of the case against him have not yet been made public. The decision horrified the family of Hedges and his colleagues who denied outright that Hedges could have spied on and insisted that he was simply doing normal university research. All confessions, they say, must have been extracted under pressure.
British academic Matt Hedges photographed with his wife Daniela TejadaPhoto courtesy of Daniela Tejada
The first concern is the well-being of Hedges. Professor John Williams, Director of the School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University, where Hedges was preparing his Ph.D., said, "We are extremely worried about Matt's well-being. He is an innocent man … the trial has neither legitimacy nor credibility and his state of health is not good ".
But there are also broader implications. The Gulf Studies Center of the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies of the University of Exeter has described it as "a alarming day for human rights. "Karen Young, resident researcher at the American Enterprise Institute, tweeted that the sentence would include a"cooling effect on the research community, dialogue and interpersonal connections.
In the United Arab Emirates, some have tried to minimize the risk that this case will damage the country's international reputation. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a prominent local commentator (who himself was arrested by the authorities), previously argues that the UAE's reputation is "rock solid" despite the arrest of Hedges.
However, the reality is that the name of the country is now stained in the eyes of many observers. An example of this came from an unusually strong statement by British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt following the verdict.
"I am deeply shocked and disappointed by the verdict," he said. "The verdict today is not what we expect from a friend and trusted UK partner and goes against previous assurances … J & # I have often indicated that the handling of this affair by the UAE authorities would have repercussions on relations between our two countries. . "
It remains to be determined what the consequences will be, but the UK may put pressure on the UAE in a number of areas. One of these areas was raised by Conservative backbencher Crispin Blunt – a former chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee – at the time of the House of Commons questions. Prime Minister on November 21st. "The action is totally incompatible with the behavior of a country with which we have a mutual defense agreement … If it is not released, I do not see why we should engage to defend it, "he told the House of Commons.
The situation is particularly relevant for UK universities, at least 12 of which have satellite campuses in the United Arab Emirates. To date, no one has yet announced whether it is considering changing its strategy to reflect the Hedges case.
A spokeswoman for Heriot-Watt University said, "We take the safety of all our staff and students very seriously and their safety is absolutely paramount. Our staff and students are encouraged to follow current advice issued by the UK Government's Foreign and Commonwealth Office and to abide by local laws and customs at all times. "
At the time of this story, other third-level institutions in the United Arab Emirates had not responded to requests for comment, including Bath Spa University, the University of Birmingham, the University of Bolton, Bradford University, City University, London Business School. , University of Manchester, Middlesex University, Sterling University, University of Strathclyde and University of West London.
Some academics and departments have expressed their shock at the fate of Hedges, but the sector as a whole does not seem yet inclined to change approach.
Vivienne Stern, director of Universities UK International, which represents British universities, said in a statement: "British academics work in many countries around the world where academic freedom is not always respected. We think it's important that they can do it. But the statement did not suggest that British universities could or should do anything to change their approach.
While the academic authorities have been slow to respond, others are acting, including members of the University of Universities and Colleges (UCU), which represents more than 120,000 academics, lecturers, postgraduate students and members of the University. United Kingdom university staff. UCU members at the University of Birmingham have stated that they would refuse to engage on the campus of the university in Dubai, in the context of longstanding complaints concerning the failure of the university to defend human rights and academic freedom.
The union said its members overwhelmingly supported the motion following Hedges' conviction and after "months of frustration trying to convince the university to take its responsibilities seriously in the UAE." UCU Birmingham Chapter President James Brackley said his members were "scandalized" by the sentence against Hedges and urged the university to "seriously engage with us to ensure safety and security." academic freedom of staff and students of Dubai ".
Radha Stirling, director of Detained in Dubai, said she was advising the academic community to suspend her research trips to the UAE. Others have called for a bigger boycott. The famous historian Sir Antony Beever said that he would no longer attend the Emirates Literature Festival in Dubai in March and urged other writers to do the same.
Meanwhile, Hedges' family and friends continue to press the UAE for release. A petition calling on the UAE authorities to release him quickly garnered several thousand signatures.
