Matthew Hedges, the British PhD student jailed for spying in the UAE, has been released from prison after being pardoned as part of the country’s National Day clemency tradition, government sources have said.
At a press conference in the Gulf state, an official said the British academic would be free to leave the country once the formalities of the presidential pardon had been seen to.
In a statement, Mr Hedges’ wife Daniela Tejada, who has lobbied for his release, said she "can’t wait" to have her husband back home.
She said: "The presidential pardon for Matt is the best news we could have received. Our six plus months of nightmare are finally over and to say we are elated is an understatement….
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