The ambassador of the United Arab Emirates in London said Friday his government is studying whether to grant clemency to a convicted British academic sentenced to life in prison for espionage.
Ambassador Sulaiman Hamid Almazroui said that academic Matthew Hedges' family has requested clemency and the government is considering it.
He said the espionage case against the 31-year-old Hedges "was an extremely serious case" and that he had been convicted based on "compelling evidence" after a full and fair judicial process.
"The crimes Mr. Hedges was accused of are extremely serious. For the UAE, like all countries, protecting our national security must be our first priority," he said.
The ambassador denied claims that Hedges received only a brief court hearing before being convicted on very serious charges and said the British academic had proper legal representation in court.
The ambassador says he has met with British officials to discuss the case, which has threatened close ties between the two friendly countries.
Hedges is a Ph.D. student who was arrested May 5 at Dubai Airport after a research trip to the UAE.
His wife, Daniela Tejada, said after meeting with British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt on Thursday that she believes British authorities are working to free her husband.
"He (Hunt) has assured me that he and his team are doing everything in their power to get Matt free and return him home to me," she said. "This is not a fight I can win alone and I thank the Foreign Office and the British public for now standing up for one of their citizens.
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