British academic Matthew Hedges has been sentenced to life in prison in the United Arab Emirates after he was accused of spying for the UK government.

The PhD student at Durham University had travelled to the Gulf state to research his thesis and interview sources about the country's foreign policy and security strategy, his devastated family say.

He has 30 days to appeal after a Federal Appeals Court convicted him on charges of spying and sharing sensitive security and intelligence information to a foreign country.

Mr Hedges, 31, didn't have a lawyer and was "shaking" as the verdict was read out during a hearing that lasted less than five minutes on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Theresa May has said she is "deeply disappointed" at the sentencing.

Matthew Hedges and his wife Daniela Tejada (
Image:
PA)

Mr Hedges, who has denied accusations that he was a spy posing as an academic researcher, was accompanied by his wife, Daniela Tejada, and diplomats from the British Embassy.

A life sentence includes a maximum of 25 years in jail, followed by deportation, the state-run newspaper The National reported.

Mr Hedges, who lives in Exeter, Devon, and whose family used to live in Dubai, was also ordered to pay all legal fees, and his electronic devices and research have been confiscated.

Ms Tejada said afterwards: "I am in complete shock and I don't know what to do.

"Matthew is innocent. The Foreign Office know this and have made it clear to the UAE authorities that Matthew is not a spy for them.

"This whole case has been handled appallingly from the very beginning with no one taking Matthew's case seriously.

Mr Hedges has denied claims that he was spying in the UAE (
Image:
PA)

"The British Government must take a stand now for Matthew, one of their citizens. 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."

Ms Tejada added: "This has been the worst six months of my life, let alone for Matt who was shaking when he heard the verdict. The UAE authorities should feel ashamed for such an obvious injustice.

"I am very scared for Matt. I don't know where they are taking him or what will happen now. Our nightmare has gotten even worse."

The UAE's attorney general has claimed that the Brit admitted to the allegations during questioning. But his family say he was made to sign a document in Arabic and was unaware that it was a confession statement.

Mr Hedges' supporters have claimed his case was politically motivated and accused the UAE of abusing its judicial power and his human rights.

A family spokeswoman told AFP after the hearing: "We can confirm that he was sentenced to life in prison. The hearing lasted less than five minutes, and his lawyer was not present."

At Prime Minister's Questions, Mrs May told the House of Commons that Mr Hedges' case is being raised with the Emirati authorities at the "highest level", adding that she was "deeply disappointed and concerned" at the verdict.

"The Foreign Office will remain in close contact with Matthew, his family and his lawyer," she told MPs.

Mr Hedges has been in the UAE since his arrest in May (
Image:
PA)

Tory MP Crispin Blunt told Mrs May she should make clear to the UAE that "if he is not released, I don't see why we should be committed to their defence".

Mrs May said Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt was "urgently seeking a call with Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed".

Earlier, Mr Hunt said the UAE's handling of Mr Hedges' case will have repercussions for the relationship between the two countries, as he urged the court to reconsider the sentence.

The Foreign Secretary said: "I am deeply shocked and disappointed by the verdict today.

"I have personally raised the case of Matthew Hedges at the highest levels of the UAE government, including during my visit to Abu Dhabi on 12 November. On that occasion, I spoke to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed.

"However, today's verdict is not what we expect from a friend and trusted partner of the United Kingdom and runs contrary to earlier assurances.

"Our consular officials have been in close contact with Matthew Hedges and his family. We will continue to do everything possible to support him.

"I have repeatedly made clear that the handling of this case by the UAE authorities will have repercussions for the relationship between our two countries, which has to be built on trust.

"I regret the fact that we have reached this position and I urge the UAE to reconsider."

A Reuters journalist was barred from entering the court for Wednesday's hearing.

In a statement in Arabic, the court said: "The Federal Appeals Court of Abu Dhabi sentenced Matthew Hedges, 31, to life imprisonment after being convicted of spying on the UAE and providing sensitive security and intelligence information to third parties.

"The court also ruled that he would be deported from the country after the execution of the sentence and would be charged the costs of the legal case.

Mr Hedges has 30 days to appeal his conviction (
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Facebook)

"The court ordered the confiscation of all his equipment, devices, research and studies.

"The convicted person has the right to challenge the ruling with the State Security Department of the Federal Supreme Court within a maximum period of 30 days."

Kate Allen, Amnesty International UK’s Director, said: “This is terrible news – our worst fears come true. We’ve always had the gravest concerns about this case – from the long period that Matthew was in detention without access to a lawyer, the supposed confession in detention, and now the ludicrously short trial hearing today.

“The UK should demand that the Emirati authorities fully explain how this case can ever be justified.

"Meanwhile, the UK should make it absolutely clear that jailing Matthew for life will have serious consequences for the UK’s future relationship with the UAE.”

Hamad Al Shamsi, the UAE's attorney general, had earlier defended the case and said that Mr Hedges was referred to court based on legal evidence and findings from investigations that were carried out by the public prosecution, the Khaleej Times reported.

He added: "The investigations guaranteed the accused's legal rights in accordance with the UAE's constitution and legal system, and close monitoring of members from the British Embassy."

The attorney general claimed Mr Hedges' "confession statements" to investigators were "similar to the evidence and information taken from his electronic devices", the Khaleej Times reported.

He claimed Mr Hedges was treated fairly by the judicial system and humanely while he was held.

The Brit was detained at Dubai International Airport on May 5 after an Emirati man told police that Mr Hedges had been asking for sensitive information, UAE media reported.

Ms Tejada had said previously that her husband was "hoping for justice" (
Image:
AFP/Getty Images)

He was held in solitary confinement for five months - without being told why he was in custody - until he was released on bail in October, his family say.

They say his mental and physical health "seriously deteriorated" while he was held, and they claim prison guards fed him a "cocktail of medication" including Xanax, Valium and Ritalin.

He was formally charged last month at his first hearing with a lawyer, who told the court that he was innocent.

His passport was seized and he was ordered to remain in the UAE until Wednesday's court appearance in Abu Dhabi.

Mr Hedges' family say he was interrogated without a lawyer or consular access during his first six weeks of detention, and he was made to sign a document in Arabic which turned out to be a confession statement.

The Foreign Secretary and Middle East minister Alistair Burt have both travelled to the UAE since Mr Hedges was detained to make representations on his behalf.

Before the life sentence was handed out, the spokeswoman for Mr Hedges' family, said they did not know what to expect from the court appearance.

She said: "We have no indication as to what way it will go. We're trying to stay hopeful but we don't want to raise our hopes too much."

Mr Hedges, a specialist in Middle Eastern studies at Durham University, went to the UAE to research his PhD thesis.

At Mr Hedges' last hearing on October 24, his court-appointed lawyer maintained that he is innocent.

On October 29, Mr Hedges was released from detention and he has since been staying in Dubai with an ankle bracelet monitoring his movements.

After he was released on bail, Mr Hedges was in a good mood and was "still hoping for justice", his wife, Ms Tejada, told the BBC.

She said 600 scholars from around the world have supported an open letter demanding Mr Hedges' immediate release.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has previously said there are limits to what it can say publicly about the case because of the legal proceedings.

It said it was monitoring developments closely and staff were in close contact with Mr Hedges' wife Daniela, offering her support.

Mr Hedges has been working on his PhD at Durham since 2013. He is in his final year at the university.

He had previously completed a Master's degree in Middle East Studies at the University of Exeter.