A British academic accused of spying was sentenced to life in prison in the United Arab Emirates after a five-minute hearing in which he was not represented by a lawyer, his family said, prompting outrage from politicians in London.
Matthew Hedges, a specialist in Middle Eastern studies at Durham University in England, was arrested on May 5 by UAE officials as he was leaving Dubai airport after a research trip. Accused of espionage, the 31-year-old was held in solitary confinement for almost six months. But he was released on bail last month.
A family spokeswoman said Hedges was forced to sign a confession in Arabic, a language Hedges does not read or speak.
Britain has warned of “serious diplomatic consequences” for the UAE’s imprisonment of Hedges and could threaten to derail relations between the two countries.
Ben Bradshaw, the member of Parliament who represents Hedges’ constituency, told CNN he was “completely horrified” by the decision. Bradshaw said the British government and Durham University have assured UAE authorities that Hedges is not a spy.
“This is totally unacceptable for a friendly government like the UAE to treat a British citizen in this way,” Bradshaw said.
“The British government needs to make quite clear to the Emiratis that should any harm come to Matthew for any reason, that they will bear full responsibility for that.”
Hedges’ sentence on Wednesday appeared to come as a surprise to British authorities.
UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the verdict was not what the UK “expected from a friend and trusted partner of the United Kingdom” and that it was “contrary to earlier assurances.”
Hunt said in a statement he was “deeply shocked and disappointed” by the verdict. “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,” he said.
“I regret the fact that we have reached this position and I urge the UAE to reconsider.”
British Prime Minister Theresa May told the UK Parliament she was “deeply disappointed and concerned” at the verdict.
“We are raising it with the Emirati authorities at the highest level,” she added.
Hedges’ wife, Daniela Tejada who was present at the hearing said she was in “complete shock” and that her husband was “shaking when he heard the verdict.”
She was deeply critical of the British handling of the case, insisting that Hedges is innocent.
“The Foreign Office know this and have made it clear to the UAE authorities that Matthew is not a spy for them,” Tejada said.
“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.”
Tejada added that this has been “the worst six months” of her life.
“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,” Tejada said.
CNN
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