Chris Hedges
“The British government has been negligent about the real risks posed to UK citizens when they travel to the UAE, and they have been inadequate in their response when Britons subsequently face legal problems in the Emirates. We have pushed the British government to increase its travel warnings about the UAE to, for instance, caution travelers about the severe curtailments of free speech in the country, where someone can be jailed over a tweet, a Facebook post, or even a WhatsApp message to a friend." Radha Stirling
"Matthew should never have been arrested; never should have been forced to sign a false confession in Arabic; never should have been locked up in solitary confinement for six months; never should have been tried for the outlandish charge of espionage; and most certainly never should have been sentenced to life imprisonment. The pardon does not undo any of that, and indeed, Matthew’s innocence has not been admitted by the UAE; the wrongs done to him have not been acknowledged. Obviously we welcome Matthew’s release, but this is far from an optimal resolution." Radha Stirling, founder and CEO of Detained in Dubai
'I fully expect that Matthew Hedges will launch an appeal but we must remember that he will be facing a judicial system that is known for corruption, unfair trials, forced confessions and discrimination.
'The UK courts have repeatedly denied all extradition requests to the country on this basis and, in Matthew's case, the ultimate determination of his matter will come down to the ruling party, not to the legal system,' said Stirling, whose team of lawyers help those in difficulty with the Dubai judiciary.
Read More at the Detained in Dubai Website