UAE Pardons and Releases British Student Convicted of Spying

The United Arab Emirates government announced on Monday that it has pardoned and released a British student who had been sentenced to life imprisonment for espionage. According to Reuters, Matthew Hedges departed for Britain on a flight early Tuesday morning. The Associated Press reported that with the release of Matthew Hedges, a diplomatic crisis between the UAE and one of its important Western allies comes to an end, although the UAE continues to claim that he was spying for MI6, the UK's foreign intelligence service. Hedges' arrest, several months of imprisonment, and conviction occurred last week amid strained relations between the UK and the UAE since 2011, influenced by the UAE's involvement in the Yemeni civil war and the Qatar blockade. Nevertheless, tens of thousands of British citizens work in the UAE, and thousands more travel to the emirate as tourists each year. UAE officials emphasize that they have strong evidence against Matthew Hedges. At a hastily arranged press conference in Abu Dhabi, officials played a short video in which Hedges apparently confesses to his espionage activities. Jaber Al-Lameek, a member of the UAE National Media Council, stated, "He is a part-time PhD student and a part-time businessman but a full-time agent of espionage agencies. Mr. Hedges has been convicted of espionage." He added, "He came to this country to steal sensitive information from the UAE." Hedges' wife told the BBC in an interview that he has had a difficult time in prison since his arrest on May 5, and she is sure he is not a spy. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt welcomed the news of Hedges' release on Twitter, calling it "great news." He added that the UK does not accept the charges against Hedges but thanked the UAE government for resolving the issue quickly. Hunt stated, "We have not seen any evidence to support these claims, and the UK is very surprised by the allegations." The Associated Press noted that last week, following Hedges' life sentence, the UAE government came under significant pressure from the international community. Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the UAE, pardoned Hedges along with 780 others on Sunday, just before the country's National Day. Jaber Al-Lameek stated on Monday that Hedges had always had access to lawyers and doctors during his imprisonment, and British embassy officials were present at his court hearing. He did not answer reporters' questions at the press conference. The UAE state news agency claimed that Hedges was gathering information for British intelligence agencies regarding weapon systems, economic status, the UAE's involvement in the Yemen war, and important government officials, including members of the ruling family. Experts believe that this incident is unlikely to completely change relations between the two countries, but it will certainly take a long time to mitigate its negative effects.