Matthew Hedges has been pardoned by the UAE.

Matthew, a 31-year-old doctoral student at Durham University was sentenced to life in prison last week on spying charges after being arrested at Dubai airport in May.

The UAE has reportedly released a video showing the jailed Durham student "admitting he's a member of MI6".

After Matthew was sentenced, his wife Daniela slammed the British Government for failing him and ignoring her pleas for help.

However, after meeting with Mr Hunt she said she was more 'hopeful' a solution would be found.

Matthew could now be released on December 2, the national day of the UAE.

Matthew, who is originally from Exeter, was studying for a PHD in Middle Eastern Studies at Durham University's School of Government and International affairs. </s> Matthew Hedges, a British PhD student sentenced to life in jail over spying for the UK government, is to be released immediately after being pardoned by the UAE, who says he confessed to being a member of MI6.

Hedges was sentenced to life in prison last week on spying charges in a court in Abu Dhabi. UAE officials have reportedly released a video showing the 31-year-old doctoral student “admitting he’s a member of MI6,” according to the Mirror.

The Durham University student from Exeter in Devon was arrested in the UAE on May 5, after conducting a two-week research project for his doctoral thesis.

Matthew's wife Daniela Tejeda, who has maintained that her husband denies all spying charges said: "We welcome news of the presidential pardon and cannot wait to have Matt back home."

Dr. Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said: "His Highness the President’s gracious clemency in the customary National Day pardons allows us to return our focus to the underlying fundamental strength of the UAE/UK bi-lateral relationship and its importance to the international community.

"It was always a UAE hope that this matter would be resolved through the common channels of our longstanding partnership. This was a straightforward matter that became unnecessarily complex despite the UAE’s best efforts," according to WAM.

Hedges case sparked a diplomatic row between the UK and UAE, with Tajeda accusing the British government of “putting their UAE interests above a citizen’s rightful freedom.”

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has welcomed the news of the PhD student’s release, insisting that “Although we didn’t agree with charges we are grateful to UAE govt for resolving issue speedily.”

Hedges’ hearing only lasted five minutes and his lawyer was not present, according to a spokesperson for the family. The student had 30 days to appeal his convictions of spying and sharing sensitive security and intelligence information to third parties.

A life sentence in the UAE includes a maximum of 25 years in jail and can be followed by deportation.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!

to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media won’t tell you. </s> UAE sentences British academic to life in prison for spying

LONDON (AP) — The family of a British academic jailed in the United Arab Emirates on spying allegations says he's been sentenced to life in prison.

Matthew Hedges, a 31-year-old PhD student in Middle Eastern Studies at Durham University, was arrested at Dubai Airport on May 5. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has travelled to the UAE to make representations on his behalf.

Hunt expressed shock at the verdict Wednesday and says the decision "is not what we expect from a friend and trusted partner of the United Kingdom and runs contrary to earlier assurances."

Hunt says consular officials have been in close contact with the academic's family and the case "will have repercussions for the relationship between our two countries, which has to be built on trust." </s> Matthew Hedges has been pardoned by the UAE.

It comes as a video showing the Durham University student 'confessing to being a member of MI6 is released

The UAE has reportedly released a video showing the jailed Durham student "admitting he's a member of MI6".

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt spoke to the foreign minister of the UAE on Sunday.

Matthew could now be released on December 2, the national day of the UAE.

His wife, Daniela Tejada, said she and the rest of his family were "elated" at the news he was to be freed.

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It's taken me by surprise and I'm just so happy and so relieved and really incredulous that it is all happening finally.

"It's been an absolutely nightmarish seven months already and I can't wait to have him back."

Mr Hedges, a 31-year-old doctoral student at Durham University was sentenced to life in prison last week on spying charges.

He was arrested at Dubai airport in May and had been held on solitary confinement until his trial which sentences him to 25 years imprisonment followed by deportation.

Matthew, who is originally from Exeter, was studying for a PHD in Middle Eastern Studies at Durham University's School of Government and International affairs.

His research interests are listed on the University's website and include: changing nature of war, civil-military relations, defence industrialisation and Middle Eastern politics.

After Matthew was sentenced, his wife Daniela slammed the British Government for failing him and ignoring her pleas for help.

However, after meeting with Mr Hunt she said she was more 'hopeful' a solution would be found.

She said: "I am very hopeful that the UAE rulers will take into consideration Matt's family and my plea for his freedom." </s> A British academic has been sentenced to life in prison in the United Arab Emirates after he was accused of spying for the UK Government.

Matthew Hedges, a PhD student at Durham University, had travelled to the Middle Eastern country to interview sources about the country's foreign policy and security strategy.

The 31-year-old was detained at Dubai Airport on May 5 and held in solitary confinement for five months.

He was released on bail but his passport was seized and he was ordered to remain in the UAE until Wednesday's court appearance in Abu Dhabi, where he was given a life sentence, his family spokeswoman Nikita Bernardi said.

Mr Hedges, who lives in Exeter, Devon, denied spying for the UK government.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, and Minister of State for the Middle East Alistair Burt, have both previously travelled to the UAE to make representations on Mr Hedges' behalf. </s> LONDON — Matthew Hedges, the British academic who was sentenced last week to life in prison by the United Arab Emirates on spying charges, was pardoned on Monday “with immediate effect,” the Emirati government announced, after British officials lobbied to have him released.

The conviction of Mr. Hedges, and the severity of the sentence, had been met with outrage in Britain, where Prime Minister Theresa May promised to raise the issue with the United Arab Emirates at the “highest level.”

Both the British government and Mr. Hedges’s wife, Daniela Tejada, have denied that he was a British spy. Family members have said that he was made to sign a confession written in Arabic, which they said he does not read or speak.

Mr. Hedges, 31, a graduate student at Durham University in England, was pardoned by Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the emir of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates, the government said. A flight carrying him landed at London Heathrow Airport on Tuesday morning, Reuters reported. </s> The United Arab Emirates has sentenced a British academic to life in prison on spying charges, prompting threats of diplomatic blowback from the United Kingdom.

Matthew Hedges, a 31-year-old Durham University graduate student, was sentenced Wednesday in a five-minute court session in Abu Dhabi, the Washington Post reports. He has 30 days to appeal the verdict.

Hedges was in the country on a two-week trip related to his PhD research on Emirati security policy, his family and university said. He was arrested on May 5 at the Dubai International Airport.

For four months, Hedges was held in solitary confinement. The academic was unexpectedly released on bail last month, and was charged with espionage after signing a confession statement in Arabic, a language he does not speak, according to the Post.

A judge sentenced him to life in prison in Wednesday. According to a statement from the UAE, British embassy representatives were present at the trial.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he was “deeply shocked and disappointed” by the ruling, and warned that the case could have diplomatic “repercussions.”

“Today’s verdict is not what we expect from a friend and trusted partner of the United Kingdom and runs contrary to earlier assurances,” Hunt said in a statement. “I urge the UAE to reconsider.”

British Prime Minister Theresa May also expressed concern and promised to discuss the case with the UAE “at the highest level.”

Family members said Hedges’ health had deteriorated significantly during his detention, and he was hospitalized in October. He reportedly began vomiting on a daily basis after prison officials gave him a mixture of antidepressants, anti-anxiety medicine and sleeping pills, the Post reports.

Daniela Tejada, Hedge’s wife, said the family had been silent on the case for months after British government officials advised them keeping a low-profile would help ease the sentencing.

“The Foreign Office…have made it clear to the UAE authorities that Matthew is not a spy for them,” Tejada said in a statement following the verdict, according to the Post. “This whole case has been handled appallingly from the very beginning with no one taking Matthew’s case seriously.”

Human Rights Watch deputy Middle East director Michael Page said Hedge’s case lays bare the disparity between the Gulf state’s attempts to portray itself as “a progressive and tolerant country” and its “fundamental lack of respect for the rule of law.”

“UAE rulers cannot claim to preside over a global knowledge and education hub while locking up academics,” Page said. </s> A British Ph.D. student was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday in the United Arab Emirates on charges that he was spying for the United Kingdom.

Matthew Hedges, 31, a doctoral student at Durham University, was arrested at Dubai’s airport on May 5 and has been held in detention since then. Hedges traveled to the UAE for a research trip to “interview sources about the country’s security policies,” the BBC reported.

The Federal Appeals Court of Abu Dhabi said Hedges was found guilty of "spying on the UAE and providing sensitive security and intelligence information to third parties." Local papers say police secured evidence of Hedges' activities from his electronic devices and surveillance collected by members of the Emirati intelligence. Durham University, meanwhile, said that there was no reason to believe Hedges "was conducting anything other than legitimate academic research."

BRITISH STUDENT HELD IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT IN UAE AFTER BEING ACCUSED OF SPYING, REPORT SAYS

Hedges can challenge the ruling within 30 days. The BBC reported, citing an Abu Dhabi newspaper, that a “life sentence means a maximum of 25 years in jail.”

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt had traveled to the UAE last week and discussed the case with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed. He described the situation as “unacceptable.”

"Today's verdict is not what we expect from a friend and trusted partner of the United Kingdom and runs contrary to earlier assurances," Hunt said in a statement which underscored his surprise at the decision.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said she was “deeply disappointed and concerned” about the decision.

“The Foreign Office will remain in close contact with Matthew, his family and his lawyer,” she said on Wednesday. “We will continue to do all we can to support them as they consider the next steps and we will continue to press this matter at the highest level with the Emiratis.”

Hedges’ wife Daniela Tejada, who was in court, said she was in “complete shock.”

"Matthew is innocent," she said. "The Foreign Office knows this and have made it clear to the UAE authorities that Matthew is not a spy for them."

Urging the British government to make a stand for him, she added: "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."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. </s> A Durham University student has been sentenced to life in prison in the United Arab Emirates for spying.

Matthew Hedges, 31, had been held in solitary confinement since he was arrested on May 5 at Dubai Airport.

He appeared at the Federal Court of Appeal in October accused of spying for the British Government and was subsequently released on bail.

His passport was seized and he was ordered to remain in the UAE until Wednesday's court appearance.

And he has been sentenced to life in prison. A life sentence includes a maximum of 25 years in jail and is followed by deportation

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he was "deeply shocked and disappointed by the verdict."

A family spokeswoman, Nikita Bernardi, told press agency AFP after the hearing: "We can confirm that he was sentenced to life in prison. The hearing lasted less than five minutes, and his lawyer was not present."

Mr Hedges completed a Masters degree in Middle East Studies at Exeter, and began working on his PhD at Durham University in 2013.

In a statement in Arabic, the court said: "The Federal Appeals Court of Abu Dhabi sentenced Matthew Hedges, 31, to life imprisonment after being convicted of spying on the UAE and providing sensitive security and intelligence information to third parties.

"The court also ruled that he would be deported from the country after the execution of the sentence and would be charged the costs of the legal case.

"The court ordered the confiscation of all his equipment, devices, research and studies.

"The convicted person has the right to challenge the ruling with the State Security Department of the Federal Supreme Court within a maximum period of 30 days."

The latest court appearance was the third for the academic since his arrest almost seven months ago.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Middle East minister Alistair Burt have both travelled to the UAE since Mr Hedges was detained to make representations on his behalf.

His family said prior to his release on bail that they had only been allowed to visit him twice since during his detention.

His wife Daniela Tajeda told BBC News her husband had been suffering anxiety and panic attacks while in prison and had even expressed suicidal thoughts.

Previously, in a joint statement, Durham and Exeter Universities said they were "deeply concerned" for Mr Hedges' welfare.

Reacting to the result of the case, Mr Hunt said in a statement: “I am deeply shocked and disappointed by the verdict today. 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.”
Matthew Hedges, the British student who was sentenced last week by a judge in the United Arab Emirates to life in prison on espionage charges, is pardoned and released by authorities. The UAE maintains that he was an MI6 agent.