Jailed British Academic Pardoned By UAE

Matthew Hedges was arrested at Dubai Airport as he tried to leave the country in May (Picture: Daniela Tejada).

British academic Matthew Hedges, who was last week jailed for life in the United Arab Emirates on a spying charge, has been pardoned.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the news, announced at a press conference in the UAE on Monday, was "fantastic".

The UK has a close relationship with the Gulf state in many areas including military, intelligence and arms sales.

British service personnel train with UAE troops and Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson in April celebrated the nation's help fighting the Islamic State terror group.

There are currently around 200 UK personnel deployed to the UAE.

Estimates vary, but the UK has licensed hundreds of millions of pounds in arms sales to the UAE, while the Government says the nation is the Royal Navy's "most visited port globally".

Thirty-one-year-old Mr Hedges, originally from Exeter, was arrested at Dubai Airport as he tried to leave the country on May 5.

UAE minister of state for foreign affairs Dr Anwar Gargash said the pardon would allow the UAE and UK to "return our focus to the underlying fundamental strength of the UAE-UK bilateral relationship", the WAM Emirates news agency reported.

Dr Gargash said: "His highness the president's gracious clemency in the customary National Day pardons allows us to return our focus to the underlying fundamental strength of the UAE-UK bilateral relationship and its importance to the international community.

"It was always a UAE hope that this matter would be resolved through the common channels of our longstanding partnership. This was a straightforward matter that became unnecessarily complex despite the UAE's best efforts."

Mr Hunt said news of Mr Hedges's pardon was "bittersweet" given that Briton Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe remains detained in Iran, also accused of spying.

He tweeted: "Fantastic news about Matthew Hedges. Although we didn't agree with charges we are grateful to UAE govt for resolving issue speedily. But also a bittersweet moment as we remember Nazanin & other innocent ppl detained in Iran. Justice won't be truly done until they too are safely home."

The Foreign Secretary last week threatened the UAE with "serious diplomatic consequences" if Matthew Hedges was not freed.