Britain has a long-standing policy of neither confirming or denying allegations surrounding the intelligence services. That did not change in the curious case of Matthew Hedges, after the UAE government pardoned him from a life sentence on spying charges.
When Sheikh Khalifa, the President, issued the pardon on Monday, video evidence was shared where a relaxed Hedges confessed to being a British agent while posing as a PhD student.
However, the British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and other officials repeatedly issued a two-fold message even as the case of Mr Hedges came to the UAE courts. First that the government could not substantiate the accusation – claiming there was "no foundation" in the allegations – and second that the UAE should take account of the long-standing friendship between the two nations in seeking a resolution of the matter.
In welcoming Mr Hedges pardon, Mr Hunt again came as close as he publicly could to refuting the suggestions that the PhD student worked for the Secret Intelligence Service or MI6.
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Read more:
Update: Pardoned British spy Matthew Hedges lands at London's Heathrow airport
The curious case of Matthew Hedges
British spy Matthew Hedges pardoned by UAE government
British spying trial: Matthew Hedges sentenced to life in jail by Abu Dhabi court
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“We’ve seen no evidence to support these accusations against Matthew Hedges, but today what we want to do is to thank them for the fact that they have reflected on the strong representations that we’ve made,” he said.
“We’ve made it very clear for a number of months now that we see no basis in these allegations, they’ve reflected on that, they’ve taken the action that they can, which means that Matthew Hedges is going to be reunited with his family.”
Officials in the UK foreign office (FCO) have failed to clarify, despite requests from The National, when Mr Hedges was first visited by consular staff after his arrest on May 5 at Dubai airport.
Baroness Goldie, a junior minister attached to the FCO, told the British parliament that British officials had met with Hedges a number of times while he was in UAE custody. “Consular staff have met Matthew on six occasions, three before his recent bail and three while he was on bail,” she said. It is believed that the first visit took place in mid-June, a second at the end of August and once again in September.
Mr Hunt himself said there was close consular contacts between Mr Hedges and diplomats based in the UAE mission. “Our consular officials have been in close contact with Matthew Hedges and his family. We will continue to do everything possible to support him,” he said on Wednesday.
There have been no suggestions from British officials that Mr Hedges was subjected to any unusual treatment while in the UAE, either before or after he was granted bail. Indeed, Mr Hunt and other cabinet ministers suggest that both sides were working as allies to resolve the issue.
It is not thought that the incident will have long-term implications for that close alliance and the steady stream of exchanges between the two nations.
Mr Hunt spoke on Thursday of a positive mood in his phone conversation with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs, stressing the spirit of co-operation between the two sides to resolve the matter. "I believe and trust he's working hard to resolve the situation ASAP. We've a close partnership with the UAE which will help us take things forward
Talk of serious repercussions in the relationship, as an instant response to the life sentence handed down last week, has been replaced by Mr Hunt thanking the UAE for acting on British representations.
A Downing Street spokesman said Prime Minister Theresa May’s welcomed news of the release.
Durham University said Mr Hedge’s methodologies and research focus had been approved by its panels as part of his doctoral candidacy.
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if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
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Donating your hair
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The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
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