DUBAI: The British national jailed for life in the UAE for spying has been granted a presidential pardon with immediate effect.
Matthew Hedges was detained on May 5 and was sentenced to life in prison by a UAE court on Nov. 21, 2018.
Reacting to the news his wife Daniele Tejada said she “cannot wait to have Matt back home.”
During the announcement Emirati officials said the arrest was on solid ground and showed video clips in which Hedges described his apparent intelligence work with MI6 – the British secret service.
“He was a part-time PhD researcher, a part-time businessman, but he was a 100-percent a full-time secret service operative,” said Jaber Al-Lamki, an official with the UAE’s National Media Council.
“Mr Hedges has been found guilty of espionage. He sought out sensitive information he knew had access to it. He was here to steal the UAE’s sensitive national security secrets for his paymasters,” Al-Lamki added.
Responding to the announcement British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt described the announcement as “fantastic news.”
And he said the British government was grateful to the UAE for resolving the issue in a speedy fashion.
The presidential pardon is one of 785 as part of the UAE National Day celebrations state news agency WAM reported, adding that Hedges would leave the country once formalities were completed.
(Developing story)
