Convicted British spy Mathew Hedges has been granted clemency by the President of the UAE.
The Ministry of Presidential Affairs has announced today that a Presidential Pardon has been issued with immediate effect to Matthew Hedges by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates.
He will be among the 700 prisoners granted clemency on the occasion ahead of the UAE National day.
"Hedges can leave the county once the formalities are over," said the spokesperson at a press conference in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Hedges was convicted for life imprisonment on charges of espionage by the UAE courts.
Commenting on the verdict and Presidential Pardon, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar 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 bi-lateral 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."
The case against Hedges was predicated on evidence secured from Hedges electronic devices; surveillance and intelligence gathering by UAE intelligence and security agencies; and evidence provided by Hedges himself - including a corroborated account of asset recruitment and training and the confidential information being targeted. His recruitment and progress within a foreign intelligence service were authenticated to the Court by UAE Intelligence Agencies.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation can confirm that following the Court's verdict, and sentencing, his family has appealed for clemency in a personal letter to President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The letter was conveyed by British consular staff to UAE authorities.
On Wednesday, November 21, 2018, the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeals had found Hedges, a British citizen, guilty of the crime of spying for and on behalf of a foreign state, jeopardising the military, economic and political security of the UAE.
Hedges was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Anwar Gargash remarked further that "The gracious Presidential customary National Day pardon allows us to close this chapter and to concentrate on the many positive aspects of the relationship."
This article has been adapted from its original source.
