Matthew Hedges was subjected to a "grossly unfair" trial and his pardon is a "huge relief", Amnesty International says.

Kate Allen, Amnesty International UK’s director, said: "This is a huge relief and goes some way to righting a wrong after Matthew’s grossly unfair trial. Now Matthew needs to be speedily released and allowed to return to the UK.

“Matthew should never have been jailed after such an unfair process, and he should never have been held in the miserable conditions of solitary confinement. A pardon doesn’t make up for this injustice.

“Today’s news is a tribute to the tireless efforts of Matthew’s wife Daniela, who has bravely pushed the UK Government into taking action.

“Matthew’s ordeal is a reminder that the UAE is a deeply repressive country which ruthlessly suppresses free speech and peaceful criticism, and we should spare a thought for Emirati prisoners of conscience like Ahmed Mansoor or Mohammed al-Roken who aren’t getting a pardon today."

In a statement, Daniela Tejada said the presidential pardon granted to her husband Matthew Hedges is the "best news we could have received".

She said: "Our six-plus months of nightmare are finally over and to say we are elated is an understatement.

Image source, REUTERS/Simon Dawson

"That he is returning home to me and the rest of his family is much more than I was ever expecting to happen this week.

"I thank you all for your support. Without the involvement of the media, the overwhelming support of academics, the public worldwide, the work of the British diplomatic body in the UAE and (Foreign) Secretary (Jeremy) Hunt's intervention, this would have never happened.

"I ask for some time to process the news and I will be making more statements in the coming days. Thank you all once again."

Friends, family and colleagues of the British academic jailed in the United Arab Emirates after being accused of spying are united in one thing: They say he is not an intelligence agent.

But who is he?

Image source, Matthew Hedges

The Russel Group of universities, of which Durham belongs, has tweeted this statement:

Durham academic Matthew Hedges could be home "very soon indeed", Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said.

He added: "But the main thing now is that they have made this very important gesture. Matthew Hedges is coming home, and everyone recognises that he has been through a very tough time, but that his wife Daniela, his wife has been to hell and back frankly, and she fought incredibly hard.

"And having met her last week, she is a very determined lady."

Daniela Tejada, the wife of Matthew Hedges, said she is delighted he is being released and she did not believe he was a full-time spy.

She said: "You know what In my heart I know that he isn't.

"I've put my hands on fire for him and I will do it over and over again if it's necessary. But if that's what it takes for him to be back, I just welcome the news."

Image source, EPA/ANDY RAIN

Matthew Hedges could be released from prison "very soon", according to Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

He said the decision to give him clemency after being jailed for life last week was "bittersweet" as other UK nationals such as Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe remain behind bars around the world.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme about the 31 year-old, Mr Hunt said: "We never saw any evidence for these charges against Matthew Hedges, and we made that clear.

"And I think the UAE authorities to their credit have been willing to listen to us in the past few days."

Image source, AFP

Vice-Chancellor of Durham University, Professor Stuart Corbridge, said:

Ben Bradshaw, the Labour MP for Exeter where Matthew Hedges is from, said his pardon was "great news".

He added: "Let's hope Matt is home safe and sound with his wife Daniela soon."

Paul Blake
BBC News, Washington

The news Matthew Hedges was being pardoned came in a press conference, at the top of which interestingly the UAE showed a video that purports to be a confession by Matthew Hedges.

It shows Hedges saying he was a member of MI6, he was looking into the military systems and he was approaching his sources under the cover of being a PhD student.

We don't know if he was speaking under duress or if other factors were at play.

It comes ahead of a national day here which is a big celebration and as part of which 785 prisoners have been released in total.

We had word last night that these prisoners were being released but we were not sure if that included Matthew Hedges. He will be released soon and on his way presumably back to Britain quite soon.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has maintained Matthew Hedges was a spy and showed a video in which he appeared to confess.

They claim the video showed the Durham University academic confessing:

• That he was a member of MI6
• He was looking into what military systems UAE was buying
• He was approaching sources

The 31-year-old always maintained his innocence and said he was conducting research for a PhD thesis on the security of the nation in the wake of the Arab Spring.

UAE government spokesman Jabel Al Lamki said: "Mr Hedges has been found guilty of espionage. He sought out sensitive information, he knew, had access to it. He was here to steal the UAE's sensitive national security secrets for his paymasters."

Matthew Hedges' MP Ben Bradshaw has given his reaction to the news:

Conservative MP Johnny Mercer, who had previously been critical of the jailing of Matthew Hedges, said his pardon was "good news" but it had been a "bizarre episode".

Durham academic Matthew Hedges was involved in "asset recruitment', the UAE government has said.

A statement outlining his pardon added: "The case against Mr Hedges was predicated on evidence secured from Mr Hedges' electronic devices, surveillance and intelligence gathering by UAE intelligence and security agencies and evidence provided by Mr 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."

UAE minister Dr Anwar Gargash said that "the gracious presidential customary National Day pardon allows us to close this chapter and to concentrate on the many positive aspects of the relationship".

Government spokesman Jabel Al Lamki said: “The information Mr Hedges collected went far beyond standard academic practice. In fact, Mr Hedges took advantage of the openness granted to academic researchers in this country.

"We are a country that hosts some of the world’s finest academic institutes, and we pride ourselves in our contribution to scientific advancement and academic persuits.

"During the investigation it emerged that Mr Hedges has been using two different identities to gather information from his targets. In one he was Matthew Hedges the PhD researcher, in another one he was Matthew Hedges the businessman, he was part time PhD researcher, and part time businessman, but he was 100% a secret service operative."

Image source, Reuters

The wife of British academic Matthew Hedges welcomed his pardon by the United Arab Emirates on Monday and said she could not wait for him to get back home.

"The family and I welcome the news of the presidential pardon and cannot wait to have Matt back home," Hedges' wife, Daniela Tejada, told Reuters.

Image source, PA

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has welcomed the "fantastic" pardon of British academic Matthew Hedges.

But he said Hedges' imminent release is "bittersweet" as other Brits remain detained in other countries, including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who is in jail in Iran.

Durham academic Matthew Hedges was pardoned after his family appealed for clemency, the UAE government says.

A Presidential Pardon was issued "with immediate effect" by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates.

A statement said: "Mr. Hedges will be permitted to leave the UAE once formalities are completed".

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Anwar Gargash said: "His Highness the President's gracious clemency in the customary National Day pardons allows us to return our focus to 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."

Image source, Daniela Tejada

Matthew Hedges' wife Daniela Tejada has said she "cannot wait to get Matt back home" after he was pardoned on spying charges.

The 31-year-old Durham academic was jailed for life last week after being detained at Dubai Airport on 5 May.

Daniela Tejada had strongly campaigned for his release, and met Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt to discuss his case.