British student accused by UAE of posing as academic to 'spy for foreign government'
A British student has been charged by prosecutors in the UAE with posing as an academic researcher to spy for a foreign government.
Matthew Hedges, 31, who is studying for a PhD at Durham University, was arrested at Dubai airport on May 5 and has been held in solitary confinement.
Hamad al-Shamsi, UAE's attorney general, said on Monday that Mr Hedges had been charged with "spying for and on behalf of a foreign state" in an act that "jeopardises the military, economic and political security of the UAE".
He claimed Mr Hedges had been attempting during his trip to secure confidential information to potentially pass to a foreign agency without naming which one.
His case has now been referred to the country’s Court of Appeal, where he is due to appear on October 24.
His wife Daniela Tejada said on Monday that she was yet to be sent any official confirmation of the charges from either the UAE or the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
She has protested his innocence, saying he was visiting the UAE exclusively for academic research purposes and was detained without charge for over five months.
"Matt is a brilliant researcher, a man of integrity, and he has been punished in the most unjust and unfair way,” she said last week. “His rights are violated on a daily basis and I am shocked that more has not been done to get him out.”
Mr Hedges, who is originally from Exeter, was researching the impact of the Arab Spring on the UAE's foreign policy and security strategy. It is understood he was reported to authorities by one of his interviewees.
His colleagues believe that he is being held on charges of spying for Qatar, a state with which the UAE has severed all relations.
Anwar Gargash, foreign affairs minister, posted a cryptic message on Twitter last week claiming Mr Hedges was being held after "unusual and embarrassing revelations".
"Unusual and embarrassing revelations about friends and allies,” he tweeted. “With reluctance of UK authorities to address matter thru (sic) common channels, due legal process needs to take its course," he added, indicating that the UAE was disappointed with Britain's response.
The nature of the allegations has not been made public and Ms Tejada has contacted the FCO for more information.
Jeremy Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, is understood to have personally raised Mr Hedges's case with his UAE counterpart.
The Telegraph understands the UK government does not believe the charges against him.
Colombian-born Miss Tejada, 27, who met Mr Hedges at Exeter University in 2010, said he is suffering depression and suicidal thoughts.
She said she has been allowed to visit him just once in prison, where she said he was shaking and could not look her in the eye.
The couple are allowed five-minute weekly phone calls but are forbidden from discussing the case.
Mr Tejada and academics studying the Gulf have called for a reassessment of educational ties between the UK and the UAE in light of the news of Mr Hedges’ detention.
The arrest threatens to strain relations between the two countries, which have had strong military and intelligence ties.
