Matthew Hedges case: Jeremy Hunt facing formidable challenge to minimise UAE fallout
The UK will stress a cost for jailing the British academic while trying to avoid severing ties with the UAE, says Dominic Waghorn.
Thursday 22 November 2018 22:18, UK
Diplomats from the UK and UAE are working frantically to resolve a crisis over a British PhD student accused of spying.
There are signs of some conciliation from both sides.
British diplomats will have been encouraged by a statement from the United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry - in particular, the following sentence: "Both sides hope to find an amicable solution to the Matthew Hedges case."
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has responded in kind with a tweet referring to "a constructive conversation with UAE FM Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed. I believe & trust he's working hard to resolve the situation asap".
Mr Hunt threatened the UAE with diplomatic consequences on Wednesday, and called its conduct in the case unacceptable.
But on Thursday evening, he was stressing what the two governments have in common.
"We've a close partnership with UAE which will help us take things forward," he said.
But it will take more than warmer words to defuse this crisis.
The British government, many observers and academics regard the allegations of espionage levelled at Matthew Hedges as preposterous.
The UAE is standing by its allegation, insisting there is evidence supporting them.
The life sentence imposed on the British researcher has shocked and surprised the government and raised speculation as to the UAE government's motives. Emirati claims their judiciary is independent are not taken seriously in the UK.
Labour MP Bob Seeley told Sky News he believed the sentence was meant to send a political message to the UK.
He said: "I understand that the UAE and the Saudis are unhappy with the wording of the UK's draft UN resolution on Yemen and there are various bits with that text that they have taken issue with it - they are deeply unhappy with it."
Whatever the background to the life sentence, there now seems a determination to minimise the fallout for two countries whose ties go back a long way.
The British will be keen to stress there will be a cost to bringing what they regard as trumped up charges against an innocent man.
But they will want to avoid being too high-handed for fear of causing loss of face among Emiratis.
It is a formidable challenge for Mr Hunt, who is already trying to resolve another longstanding prisoner issue with Iran.