Presidential pardon for Briton in spy case
Hedges seen on video admitting that he is a ‘captain’ in MI6
‘ It is... ‘Captain’,” answered Matthew Hedges when the judge asked his rank in M16, the foreign intelligence service of the UK government. The British national, who was granted clemency by the UAE President yesterday after being convicted of spying last week, was seen admitting this on a video.
At a press conference yesterday, the UAE officials presented the video of their investigations showing Hedges admitting to the court that he was spying on the UAE. Hedges also admitted that his PhD and businessman status was just a cover to conceal his activities.
The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeals sentenced Hedges to life imprisonment for espionage against the UAE on November 21. However, the UAE Government announced yesterday: “In response to a letter from the family of Hedges requesting clemency — and in consideration of the historical relationship and close ties between the UAE and the UK — His Highness [the President Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan] decided to include Matthew Hedges among the 785 prisoners released [on the occasion of National Day].”
Commenting on the verdict and Presidential pardon, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Anwar Gargash said: “His Highness the President’s gracious clemency in the customary National Day pardon allows us to return our focus to the underlying fundamental strength of the UAE-UK bilateral relationship and its importance to the international community....”
UAE officials yesterday presented to the media a video of their investigation that shows Matthew Hedges admitting in court that he was spying on the UAE.
The convicted British spy reveals that he was a captain with MI6, the UK’s foreign intelligence service.
Hedges also admits that his PhD and businessman status was just a cover to conceal his activities.
Strong evidence
The video was shown to international media at a press conference yesterday.
The 10-minute video clip starts with the judge asking Matthew Hedges for his rank.
“[It is] captain...,” Hedges says.
The clip moves to what appears to be a laid-back Hedges in an investigation room where he says: “I have an active field role.”
Hedges, dressed in a shortsleeved blue shirt, appears relaxed. In one part he says he was not gathering information from the “top top top ... not the leadership, not from [diwan]... but from other directors ...”
“I approached them [the officials] as Matthew Hedges, the PhD student and when I got the information it becomes MI6 ...,” he says snapping his fingers.
When asked about the information he gathered, he says: “What new technologies are they looking into. What do they see as a security threat and then, military of course.”
When investigators ask if anyone knows about him or his job, he says: “No… no one else knows ... No one but you guys.”
“I am Matthew Hedges from Omiscope,” he says at one point.