UAE pardons academic but insists he was an agent
Print Edition
The United Arab Emirates has pardoned and released a British academic sentenced to life in prison on charges of spying, after showing videos of him purportedly acknowledging that he worked for MI6, the overseas arm of British intelligence.
The announcement of Matthew Hedges鈥 release yesterday ends a diplomatic headache for the UAE.
However, Emirati officials insisted the arrest was on solid grounds.
鈥淗e was a part-time PhD researcher, a part-time businessman, but he was a 100-percent a full-time secret service operative,鈥 said Jaber al-Lamki, an official with the UAE鈥檚 National Media Council.
鈥淗e was here to steal the UAE鈥檚 sensitive national security secrets for his paymasters.鈥
Britain鈥檚 Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt welcomed the decision on Hedges, tweeting it was 鈥渇antastic news.鈥
He said Britain did not agree with the charges against Hedges but added that it is 鈥済rateful to UAE government for resolving issue speedily.鈥
鈥淲e鈥檝e seen no evidence to support these accusations,鈥 Hunt said.
Hunt had lobbied senior UAE official for Hedges鈥 release.
UAE president and Abu Dhabi ruler Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued the clemency for Hedges, along with over 780 others to mark the country鈥檚 forthcoming National Day.
In the video, Hedges, a 31-year-old doctorate student in Middle Eastern studies at Durham University, is seen describing himself as a 鈥渃aptain鈥 in MI6 during what appears to be a court hearing somewhere in the Gulf Arab country.
Another clip appears to show Hedges speaking to someone in an office, describing his work as trying to understand UAE weapon purchases and strategy. He says he describes himself as an academic as 鈥渋t helps the research to go in an easy way.鈥
Hedges then snaps his fingers and adds: 鈥淭hen it becomes MI6.鈥
Hedges appears in a blue polo shirt and jeans. He did not appear to be injured or under duress, though the audio during the court appearance sounded garbled. The video ended with Hedges describing himself as being alone in the UAE, looking down at his hands.
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