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This undated family photo shows Matthew Hedges with his wife Daniela Tejada. The family of a British academic imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates for alleged espionage was reportedly sentenced to life imprisonment. Matthew Hedges, Ph.D. student in Middle Eastern Studies at Durham University, 31, was arrested at Dubai Airport on May 5, 2018. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, expressed his shock at the verdict issued Wednesday, November 21, 2018. United Arab Emirates to make representations on his behalf. (Daniela Tejada via AP)
LONDON – The wife of a British academic sentenced to life imprisonment for espionage in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday condemned the British government for placing diplomatic relations before the liberty of an innocent.
Daniela Tejada said the Foreign Office officials had ruined the case of her 31-year-old husband, who holds a doctorate. Matthew Hedges, a student, was arrested on May 5 at the Dubai airport after a search trip to the UAE. She told the BBC that the government did not intervene vigorously on behalf of Hedges at the beginning of his incarceration while he was held in solitary confinement under inhumane conditions.
"I had the impression that they were placing their interests with the UAE above the legitimate freedom and well-being of a British citizen," Tejada said. "They were walking on eggs instead of taking a firm stand."
The verdict, announced Wednesday after a five-minute hearing, surprised the British government. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt issued a statement in which he said he discussed the affair with Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed during his visit to the country last week. . The verdict "goes against previous assertions".
Hunt said he was "deeply shocked" by the verdict, which "is not what we expect from a friend and trusted UK partner".
Tensions over Hedges' treatment quickly degenerated into a crisis, in part because the ties between Britain and the UAE's seven emirates are considered narrow and go back 200 years.
The UAE is strategically located on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and the British Army trains with its troops. The emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai are home to a large number of British nationals working in areas ranging from finance to sports. Thousands of tourists visit the country every year, attracted by sunny beaches, luxury hotels and theme parks.
The links also include lucrative defense contracts. UK companies record over 261 million US dollars in orders over the next decade, according to IHS Markit data. More importantly, the United Arab Emirates plans to provide an additional $ 20 billion worth of arms contracts over the next decade – a significant source of potential revenue for Britain, which is expected to leave the European Union on next year and seeks to expand its trade elsewhere.
Hedges went to the UAE to conduct interviews as part of his research on civil-military relations after the Arab Spring. He had "nothing clandestine or secret" in what he was doing, according to Clive Jones, his doctorate. supervisor.
The Muslim nation is proud to be tolerant towards foreigners. But British nationals often violate local customs and laws that prohibit public intoxication, public kisses and insults. Most of the time, offenders are deported.
The government takes political criticism much more seriously.
The UAE's extensive surveillance network has been used to attack critics, journalists and activists conducting research in sensitive areas. Human rights organizations have been excluded from the country after investigating the working conditions of migrant workers who carry out the grueling construction work behind the sparkling towers and the vast shopping malls.
Andreas Krieg, military and security expert at King's College London, said the UAE considers any information uncontrolled by the state as a threat to the regime.
Hedges' condemnation was aimed at sending a message to journalists, human rights defenders and academics, asking them to take the government line or suffer the consequences, said Krieg.
"They see civil society as a threat to security," he said, adding that this was contrary to the well-oiled advertising machine that sells the UAE as an attractive investment and tourist attraction. "It's going to be a stain for years and years unless they release it."
