UAE Accuses Detained British Student of Espionage

The United Arab Emirates on Monday accused a British student, who was detained five months ago at Dubai airport, of espionage. According to Reuters, Matthew Hedges, a PhD student from Durham University who was on a two-week research trip to the UAE, was arrested upon his return at the airport. Daniela Tejada, the wife of this British citizen, stated that Matthew Hedges has been in solitary confinement since his arrest. The UAE government announced in a statement that the UAE Attorney General confirmed today that Matthew Hedges, a British citizen, is accused of spying for foreign countries and jeopardizing the military, economic, and political security of the UAE. The statement also mentioned that investigators obtained documents and evidence from the electronic devices of this British citizen. The British Foreign Office has not yet responded to the UAE government's statement. Meanwhile, British officials had previously stated that they had discussed the case of Matthew Hedges with UAE authorities. His wife mentioned that Matthew Hedges appeared in a court in Abu Dhabi last week, but the charges against him were not disclosed. According to Matthew Hedges' wife, the court proceedings for this British student are set to resume on October 24. Daniela Tejada stated that Matthew Hedges traveled to the UAE for his research and since his arrest on May 15, he has only been allowed consular access twice, which she claims is a violation of his rights. According to the Durham University website, Matthew Hedges is a PhD student in government and international affairs, focusing on issues such as military relations, political economy, and tribalism. Last year, a co-authored paper of his was published in an academic journal regarding the presence of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.