Spy-accused academic attacks Foreign Office

A BRITISH academic jailed on spying charges by the United Arab Emirates has accused the Foreign Office of failing to help him clear his name.

Matthew Hedges (inset) originally from Exeter, was sentenced to life in jail by the Gulf state last year after being accused of working for MI6.

A presidential pardon secured his release in November following a campaign led by his wife Daniela Tejada and interventions from Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

But Emirati officials continued to call Mr Hedges a spy, an allegation denied by his family and colleagues.

In an interview, the 31-yearold revealed his six-month long incarceration had left him with sleepless nights, PTSD and reliant on a cocktail of drugs that were fed to him in jail.

Mr Hedges has now filed a formal complaint to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) over allegations it did not do enough to secure his release and is not helping to get his conviction overturned. Ms Tejada said it took a lot of private and public pressure to get the FCO to act and they could not pretend he was “free and can carry on with his life”. She said: “It is unacceptable the British government now pretend nothing happened.”

The FCO confirmed a complaint had been made but insisted ministers and staff had worked “incredibly hard” to support Mr Hedges and his family during his detention and following his release.