LONDON – A British academic who was jailed for life in the United Arab Emirates on spying charges received a presidential pardon Monday, after UAE officials showed videos of him purportedly confessing to being a British intelligence agent. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt welcomed the news but said Britain does not agree with the charges. — Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) November 26, 2018Before announcing the pardon, the UAE defended its assertion that Hedges was spying on behalf of the British government. UAE officials said the pardon came in response to a letter from Hedges’s family to UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan asking for clemency. Hunt, the British foreign secretary, said at the time that this was not a verdict expected from a close ally and warned there would be repercussions to the relationship.

Source: National Post November 26, 2018 14:15 UTC