Fight to clear name for good

‘SHADOW OF DOUBT’ CAST ON STUDENT

ACCUSED spy Matthew Hedges and his wife Daniela Tejada believe they still need to clear his name following his Middle East ordeal.

Durham University PHD student Matthew spent six months in solitary confinement, and was sentenced to life behind bars in the United Arab Emirates after being accused of spying for M16.

The 31-year-old was pardoned by the president days later, and returned to Britain and wife Daniela last month.

Despite his release, officials in the UAE are standing by their claims that Matthew is a spy.

Speaking on ITV show Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, the couple opened up on their “traumatic ordeal” and the “shadow of doubt” which remains on Matthew.

Daniela said: “I don’t think either of us have been able to process it still.

“It was very traumatic for the two of us, for our friends, for our family, for Matt’s colleagues in academia.

“All the uncertainty of the situation but the months of wait [sic] not knowing what we could do to help or when this situation would come to an end.

“We’re obviously over the moon to be back together but our lives aren’t back yet.

“There’s still been that shadow of doubt cast upon Matt.

“Our main priority is Matt’s physical recovery but in parallel with that is clearing his name so there’s no doubt.”

Matthew was arrested in Dubai Airport in May, and wife Daniela launched a high-profile campaign and petition for his release.

On November 21 the academic was sentenced to life imprisonment, and Matthew revealed the verdict left him contemplating taking his own life.

He said: “I didn’t know what to think for days.

“On that weekend I had suicidal thoughts because nothing made sense at all.

“That wasn’t the only time I had suicidal thoughts but that was really down the end of a black hole.”

Asked by host Piers Morgan about his contact with the outside world, the accused spy admitted his “glimmer of hope” was his weekly phone call to his wife.

He added: “Solitary confinement is such a hard ordeal, such a hard punishment to face.

“At the start I was allowed to have less than a five-minute phone call that was supervised on loud speaker with about four or five guards. “Then after a few weeks I was allowed to speak to Dani on the phone every week – again for five minutes.

“Having that glimmer of hope, I never wanted to upset that balance. I never thought I want to go back here and change what I said because all I would look forward to is the next phone call on the Thursday to Dani.

“The options I were given in their words were I had two paths ahead of me.

“There was one of co-operation where they say they could commute my sentence and I would be fine. All I had to do was admit guilt.

“The other option was threats of torture and intimidation. I felt what they were doing to me with the medicine, the isolation and the threats felt like a form of torture.”

We’re obviously over the moon to be back together but our lives aren’t back yet.