The UK Foreign Office has formally apologised to the academic Matthew Hedges for its handling of his arrest and subsequent torture by the United Arab Emirates.
The apology was recommended by the parliamentary ombudsman after Hedges filed a complaint.
In a letter signed by the Foreign Office’s top official, the permanent undersecretary Sir Philip Barton, it acknowledged the profound impact the arrest had on Hedges and the injustice he faced. Hedges was given £1,500 in nominal compensation, as recommended.
Barton said the Foreign Office’s handling of Hedges’s arrest was not in line with its guidelines on how to look for signs of torture, but added that in practice it led to the same outcome as if the guidelines had been followed.
He said the Foreign Office urgently sought with UAE officials further consular visits with Hedges even though the case was not formally referred to the department’s human rights adviser as the guidelines suggest.
Hedges welcomed the apology but said it was baffling that the British government still wanted such close relations with a Gulf partner that had mistreated British people.
In a report published last month, the ombudsman found that at every meeting with a Foreign Office consular official, the UAE guards allegedly responsible for Hedges’ torture were present, making it impossible to be open about his mistreatment.
He was arrested in May 2018 at Dubai airport on suspicion of being a British spy and then released after a media campaign led to his pardon in November 2018. He had been sentenced to life imprisonment.
In the recommended letter of apology, Barton said he recognised “the profound impact of your detention in UAE on you and the injustice you have faced”.
He added: “On behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office [FCDO], I acknowledge, and apologise for, the failing identified by the ombudsman, specifically I recognise that we did not fully follow our guidance on torture and mistreatment and that this failure has left you uncertain as to whether more could have been done on your behalf.”
Barton said he recognised that “this has been an emotional and distressing experience that may have a long-lasting impact on your life”.
The Foreign Office has previously agreed to review its internal guidance on cases where there are allegations of or concerns about torture and mistreatment, and to provide in-person training for all consular staff on how to handle such detentions.
The Foreign Office has also agreed to be more specific about the support it will provide to British citizens in difficulties abroad.
Hedges is working alongside the Redress Trust to help other victims of wrongful arrest overseas, as well as pursuing the UAE in the UK courts for compensation over wrongful arrest. He suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
He said on Monday: “I am delighted to receive an apology from the FCDO. It has been a battle to reach this stage. The FCDO’s acknowledgment of the torture and injustice I suffered at the hands of the UAE is a watershed moment, not just for me and my family but for all British nationals.
“There is now no doubt that the FCDO failed in their obligations towards one of their citizens and I truly hope that the hundreds of other British nationals who are currently detained and suffering torture will benefit from the FCDO’s promise of reviewing their clearly outdated and insufficient policies.”
He added: “This apology unfortunately does not change the fact that I still have a criminal record for espionage on behalf of the British government. A false allegation which was refuted by all levels of the UK government at the time of my detention, including Alex Younger, the head of MI6, who said he ‘genuinely can’t understand how our Emirati partners came to the conclusions they came to’.
“Despite this confusion, the UAE is still very much a British defence and security partner and it is baffling that the UK continues to work alongside the UAE knowing how callous they are with British lives. The FCDO should do more to push the UAE to clear my name given that they have this close relationship.”
Last month, a spokesperson for the UAE government said Hedges had been convicted of espionage after “a fair and transparent trial at which he admitted the charges against him”.
They said: “Allegations by Mr Hedges of mistreatment are categorically false and lack evidentiary basis. His claims of being ‘tortured’ while in UAE custody are wholly untrue and without any foundation whatsoever. None of Mr Hedges’ claims have ever been accepted by any court, government, or international body.”
The Foreign Office said: “The ombudsman rejected elements of the complaint and its report concluded we did act correctly in seeking access to Mr Hedges. We always aim to act in the best interest of the individual and acting without their consent in raising concerns about torture and mistreatment creates unacceptable risks.
“Helping British nationals abroad is a top priority and we offer advice and support at any time of day or night, helping over 20,000 British people and their families every year.”
