A DURHAM University academic accused of spying in the United Arab Emirates will appear in court in Abu Dhabi today.

It will be the third court appearance for Matthew Hedges, 31, since his arrest in Dubai Airport on May 5.

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

Nikita Bernardi, a representative for Mr Hedge’s 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,” she said. “We’re trying to stay hopeful but we don’t want to raise our hopes too much.”

Mr Hedges, from Exeter, is a specialist in Middle Eastern studies.

He went to the UAE to research his PhD thesis, where he was accused of spying for the British Government and arrested.

At Mr Hedge’s 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.

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.