Former prisoner of the UAE takes action to clear his name

Matt Hedges, the British PhD student convicted in the UAE of spying in a case which has raised grave concerns about academic freedom in the Gulf, has launched legal action against the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London over its handling of his case. An official complaint has been filed by Rodney Dixon QC of Temple Garden Chambers, although the FCO has yet to respond. Hedges’ wife Daniela Tejada says they are pushing for the FCO to fulfil its promise to hold a specific enquiry into the case.