British academic, 31, jailed on spying charges in UAE, accuses Foreign Office ...

British academic Matthew Hedges, 31, says the United Arab Emirates continues to call him a spy, despite receiving an official pardon

British academic Matthew Hedges, 31, says the United Arab Emirates continues to call him a spy, despite receiving an official pardon

A British academic who was jailed on spying charges by the United Arab Emirates has accused the UK's Foreign Office of failing to help him clear his name.

Matthew Hedges, originally from Exeter, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Gulf state last year after being accused of working for MI6.

A pardon from the UAE president secured his release in November following a campaign lead by his wife Daniela Tejada and interventions from Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

But Emirati officials continued to call Mr Hedges a spy, an allegation denied by his family and colleagues.

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, the 31-year-old revealed his six-month long incarceration has left him coping with sleepless nights, PTSD and reliant on a cocktail of drugs that were fed to him in jail.

Mr Hedges has now filed a formal complaint to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) over allegations it did not do enough to secure his release and is not helping to get his conviction overturned.

Mr Hedges and Ms Tejada are also considering taking legal action against the FCO, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

Ms Tejada told the newspaper her husband's case was 'an injustice' that had 'compromised' both their lives.

She said her husband was freed weeks after she spoke to the press, following months of being told to stay quiet by the Government.

Matthew Hedges and his wife, Daniela Tejada, are now considering taking legal action against the Foreign Office, alleging it did not do enough to help overturn his conviction from the UAE

Matthew Hedges and his wife, Daniela Tejada, are now considering taking legal action against the Foreign Office, alleging it did not do enough to help overturn his conviction from the UAE

'While finally the Foreign Office did step up and intervene it took them seven months and a lot of private and public pressure for them to take action,' she said.

'It is not acceptable they now pretend Matt is free and can carry on with his life.

'It is unacceptable the British Government now pretend nothing happened.'

Mr Hedges had visited the UAE to research its national security strategy, as part of his PhD work at Durham University.

He told the Sunday Telegraph that he now struggles to cope in large crowds, finds it hard to concentrate and has difficulty with

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