Abu Dhabi – Mubasher: The UAE has decided to pardon British national Matthew Hedges after he was convicted and found guilty of espionage for and on behalf of a foreign state, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported on Monday.
Hedges was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment after being accused of “jeopardising the military, economic and political security of the UAE.”
However, UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan had decided to pardon Hedges after his family filed for clemency ahead of the UAE’s National Day.
The Ministry of Presidential Affairs announced that a Presidential Pardon has been issued with immediate effect.
“The customary National Day Presidential pardon includes Mr. Hedges as part of a tranche of clemency orders issued on the occasion of the UAE’s 47th National Day anniversary. Mr. Hedges will be permitted to leave the UAE once formalities are completed,” WAM reported.
Commenting on the verdict and Presidential Pardon, UAE foreign affairs minister Dr. Anwar Gargash said that the decision and clemency were customary ahead of the UAE’s National Day, stressing that this decision would allow the country to focus better on “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," Gargash added.
Hedges was found guilty through evidence found on his electronic devices as well as through surveillance and intelligence gathered by UAE intelligence and security agencies, added to 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 was authenticated to the Court by UAE Intelligence Agencies,” WAM concluded.
