BICOM

Matthew Hedges, the PhD student imprisoned in the UAE for 6 months, arrived back in the UK this morning after being granted a presidential pardon.

The UAE confirmed yesterday that they had granted Hedges a pardon but continued to insist he was an MI6 agent. Hedges was sentenced last week to life imprisonment for espionage. UAE officials yesterday released a film of Hedges confessing to being a member of MI6. UAE officials said Hedges was trying to steal “sensitive national security secrets” and gather “classified information on its role in Yemen.”

A spokesman for the UAE government, Jabel Al Lamki, claimed Mr Hedges had been “using two different identities to gather information from his targets”. “In one he was Matthew Hedges the PhD researcher, in another one he was Matthew Hedges the businessman, he was part-time PhD researcher, and part-time businessman, but he was 100% a secret service operative.”

He said a request for clemency from Mr Hedges’ family had been granted “in consideration of the historical relationship and close ties between the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom”.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt tweeted this morning that: “The whole country is relieved and delighted to have you home.” Yesterday he said the UK government had “never seen any evidence” the spying charges were true. He said the UAE pardon was “fantastic news” but said: “We didn’t agree with the charges, we are grateful to UAE government for resolving issue speedily.”

Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman said: “As we’ve been clear, we didn’t agree with the charges, but we are grateful to the UAE government for resolving the issue.”