(Bloomberg) — A British academic has been sentenced to life in prison in the United Arab Emirates on charges of spying for the U.K., according to his family, a verdict swiftly denounced by the government in London which raised the possibility of “diplomatic consequences.”

University of Durham doctoral student Matthew Hedges had been charged with espionage and jeopardizing the state’s military, security and economy, according to earlier statements by U.A.E. “They say that the UAE is an ally, but the overwhelmingly arbitrary handling of Matt’s case indicates a scarily different reality, for which Matt and I are being made to pay a devastatingly high price.”

Hedges was detained on 5 May at Dubai airport as he was leaving the country. The University of Durham PhD candidate went to the country to research his thesis and was sentenced at an Abu Dhabi court on Wednesday in a hearing that lasted less than five minutes, with no lawyer present. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he was “deeply shocked and disappointed” by the ruling, and warned that the case could have diplomatic “repercussions.”

“Today’s verdict is not what we expect from a friend and trusted partner of the United Kingdom and runs contrary to earlier assurances,” Hunt said in a statement. Hunt says consular officials have been in close contact with the academic's family and the case "will have repercussions for the relationship between our two countries, which has to be built on trust." The Foreign Office know this and have made it clear to the UAE authorities that Matthew is not a spy for them.”

She said the case had been handled “appallingly” with no one taking it seriously.
Matthew Hedges, a British academic student studying at Durham University, is sentenced to life imprisonment in the United Arab Emirates after being convicted of spying.