United Arab emirates pardons briton sentenced to life imprisonment for espionage

The president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan, granted this Monday the forgiveness of the british Matthew Hedges, sentenced to life imprisonment for espionage, announced the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The presidential pardon has "immediate effect", and allow Hedges to leave the country when completed the paperwork, according to a press release by the Ministry published by the official agency WAM.

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Hedges, phd of the University of Durham, was arrested last may in Dubai and accused of spying for the british Government, charges that the past week was found guilty by a court of Abu Dhabi, capital of UAE.

The forgiveness of Hedges was decreed in conjunction with a package of 785 orders of clemency, approved by sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed on Sunday, with the occasion of the national day of Trbet UAE.

The family of the sentenced requested clemency in a letter written to the president emiratí, transmitted through the british embassy in Abu Dhabi, according to added to the note.

After learning of the pardon, the wife of Hedges, Daniela Tejada, has held the measure of grace, and has said he is looking forward to her husband to return to his country as soon as possible.

The law of united Arab Emirates allows any convicted person the right of appeal to the Supreme Court and also apply for executive clemency.

The minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE Anwar Gargash, said in the press release that the presidential pardon allows you to "close this chapter and concentrate on the many positive aspects of the relationship," a bilateral.

The note said that the UAE harboured hopes of resolving the issue through the "standard channels" of communication, but "it was complicated, unnecessarily, despite the best efforts of the emirates".

the Ministry Also reiterated that the condemnation of Hedges was based on evidence obtained from electronic devices of the british, on monitoring and on the evidence provided by the Hedges, including the documentation that "confirms" his recruitment by an intelligence service abroad.

The prime minister of the United Kingdom, Theresa May, condemned the sentence, handed down last Wednesday, and assured that his Government would continue supporting Hedges and his family and "trying this subject with the highest instances of UAE.