Academic jailed for life over ‘spying’

● Man ‘shaking’ as he received verdict ● Minister warns of fallout for UAE

Prime Minister Theresa May has said she is “deeply disappointed and concerned” about the case of a British academic jailed for life in the United Arab Emirates.

Matthew Hedges, 31, who is accused of spying on behalf of the British Government, was shaking as he was sentenced to life imprisonment in a fiveminute hearing at an Abu Dhabi court yesterday, his wife Daniela Tejada said.

She said the couple’s “nightmare has gotten even worse” as foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt threatened the UAE with “serious diplomatic consequences” if leaders did not reconsider.

Mrs May told MPS: “The Foreign Office will remain in close contact with Matthew, his family and his lawyer.

“We will continue to do all we can to support them as they consider the next steps and

0 Matthew Hedges with his wife Daniela Tejada, who spoke of the couple’s nightmare

we will continue to press this matter at the highest level with the Emiratis.”

Mr Hunt said consular officials had been in contact with Mr Hedges’ family and added he was “deeply shocked” at the verdict, having personally raised the case with the UAE government.

“We will continue to do everything possible to support

him,” Mr Hunt said. “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.”

Mr Hunt said his department would do “all we can” to bring Mr Hedges home over the “extremely worrying” matter,

while he said the UAE has shared no evidence with the UK to back up the charges.

Mr Hedges’ wife Daniela Tejada, who was in court during the hearing, said: “I am in complete shock and I don’t know what to do.

“Matthew is innocent. The Foreign Office know this and have made it clear to the UAE authorities that Matthew is not a spy for them. 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.

“This has been the worst six months of my life, let alone for Matt, who was shaking when he heard the verdict. The UAE authorities should feel ashamed for such an obvious injustice.”

The Middle Eastern studies specialist from Durham University visited the country to research his PHD thesis and was arrested at Dubai Airport on 5 May.

His family’s representative said he was held in solitary confinement for more than five-and-a-half months, during which his “mental and physical health seriously deteriorated”.