Matthew Hedges and his wife before his arrest on spying charges on May 5.
UAE Pardons British Student After Showing Video “Proof” That He’s MI6 Spy
ZeroHedge.com
The British doctoral student accused by United Arab Emirates authorities of being a spy has been pardoned after an Abu Dhabi court said he confessed to working for MI6, for which he had been given a life sentence. 31-year old Matthew Hedges has spent the last six months in confinement in a UAE prison for allegedly spying in the country — much of that including solitary confinement — in a case which was slow to draw international media attention.
He was arrested last May while attempting to leave the country at Dubai’s international airport after what he said was a research trip related to his studies in Middle East politics and history. Both his family and the UK government have consistently decried the accusation as false and trumped-up, while British diplomats have consistently pressured Dubai to release Hedges.
The announcement of Hedges’ unexpected pardon came after authorities held a press conference the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi in which journalists were shown a video of Hedges purportedly saying he was a captain in British intelligence. Reporters were not allowed recording devices nor has the video been made public.
On Nov. 22 he’d been found guilty of “spying for or on behalf of the UK government:” based on a confession he was forced to sign in Arabic – a language his family said he doesn’t speak. Hedges’ wife said he was repeatedly interrogated without a lawyer or consular access during his first months of confinement, during which time he signed the Arabic document.
The fascinating and bizarre twist concerns the fact that supposed “video proof” of his being a spy was offered on the very day of his pardon. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt had in the past weeks pressuring Abu Dhabi for Hedges’ release amid calls from parliament to reevaluate UK weapons sales to the GCC country should the UAE actually implement the life sentence.
BREAKING: Emirati officials show video of British national convicted for spying saying he is a captain in MI-6.
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 26, 2018
According to an AP/Reuters account of the video “confession” the Emirates showed to the press conference, the video left open a lot of questions:
In the video, Mr Hedges, a 31-year-old doctorate student in Middle Eastern studies at Durham University, is seen describing himself as a captain in MI6 during what appears to be a court hearing in the Gulf Arab country.
The video was sometimes inaudible and shown with subtitles that could not be independently verified, but Hedges did appear to say he approached sources as a doctoral student.
Another clip appears to show Mr Hedges speaking to someone in an office and saying: “It helps the research to go in in an easy way.”
Then, Mr Hedges is seen snapping his fingers and adds: “Then it becomes MI6.”
Emirati officials hosting the media conference declined to take any questions from journalists. Both the UK government and Hedges’ wife and family have consistently maintained the charges are false and preposterous.
Hedges’ family had previously expressed concern for his mental health after lengthy stints and solitary confinement and being fed a “cocktail of medication” by guards while imprisoned. International reports suggested his mental state had rapidly deteriorated due to poor treatment and the shock of the charges against him.
UAE authorities claim Matthew Hedges confessed to working for MI-6, via Reuters/Daniele Tajada
Foreign Secretary Hunt issued a statement following the announcement of pardon, saying, “Fantastic news about Matthew Hedges. Although we didn’t agree with charges we are grateful to UAE govt for resolving issue speedily.”
UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan had formally issued the clemency on Sunday along with hundreds of others – though Hedges was reportedly still in custody on Monday while undergoing “processing” procedures.