[News] Briton jailed for life in UAE.

[Ernest]

Something just doesnt sit right with me here. These are supposedly clever people. What on earth was on his visa for reason for entry to the country? Do people assume because you have an English passport and we have trade deals in place that you can enter countries and do "legitimate acadamic research into their security " and a call to the embassy will see you alright? Was his PHD research into their security going to be published? That is not ok in any country is it. We cant really just shout injustice about the length of another countries sentences or he must be innocent as he a Brit and goes to Uni. Stuff like this must be a major headache for the foreign office and diplomats. We do billions of dollars in trade with you, therefore you must let this one go, a story in the papers will put anyone else off being a bit naive

Good luck to him. Cant really say its right or wrong personally, its just dumb

You wait until we have BLUE passports that's when the world will shit themselves in fear of us, no Johnny Foreigners will lock us up then

 

[marlowe]

Pardoned and released.
Just been announced.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Pardoned and released.
Just been announced.

Good news, especially as he still denies being a British spy.

On release he said the life sentence had left him shaken. But not stirred.

 

[clippedgull]

Good news that British diplomatic pressure still works abroad.

Now Jeremy, it's time to get serious with Iran and get Nazanin home to her family.

 

[DIFFBROOK]

Good news that British diplomatic pressure still works abroad.

Now Jeremy, it's time to get serious with Iran and get Nazanin home to her family.

Despite its rhetoric, Iran is in a desperate place with USA sanctions. It very much needs Britain and the EU to keep some sort of trade going. We must use what ever leverage we have in getting that poor women home.

 

[GT49er]

Pardoned and released.
Just been announced.

Let's hope he got the information MI6 wanted, then........................

 

[KZNSeagull]

Heard on the radio earlier that the UAE were embarrassed by the comparisons with Iran over the weekend in the UK media. They are convinced he is guilty but the request for clemency had been granted "in consideration of the historical relationship and close ties between the UAE and the UK".

Perhaps he will now complete his PhD via Skype instead?

 

[Goldstone1976]

Let's hope he got the information MI6 wanted, then........................

Quite.

"Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the UK government had "never seen any evidence" the spying charges were true."

As denials go, that's, errr, not even a denial.

 

[goldstone]

If he is not guilty of the crime, then being pardoned for something he didn't do is unacceptable. He should demand a retrial.

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Will the book be out for Christmas, obviously not on sale in UAE

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Does anyone know exactly what his Phd is about?

 

[dangull]

Maybe he was guilty, and he was just let off so good relations between the countries continues. Britain may not be a completely moral country despite us living here and listening to the media.

 

[Tooting Gull]

Sounds like he was a spy to me. I imagine he has been traded for presumably someone similar. Let's hope it wasn't some arms. I think I've been watching too much West Wing.

 

[The Clamp]

PR stunt.

 

[Tokyohands]

He might want to do a bit of work on his alias before his next assignment.

 

[Goldstone1976]

He might want to do a bit of work on his alias before his next assignment.

And his line of work. As covers go “Middle East defence & security consultant, and part-time Middle East defence PhD student” doesn’t seem particularly good.

The only way he could draw more attention to himself would be if his new alias were to be “James Spy McSpyface Bond”

 

[bhafc99]

This local coverage today has a little bit of insight into what intel he was gathering, and also claims that the UAE tried to resolve it all through diplomatic channels with the UK, but were ignored and therefore felt they had to take it to court.

 

[Tooting Gull]

And his line of work. As covers go “Middle East defence & security consultant, and part-time Middle East defence PhD student” doesn’t seem particularly good.

The only way he could draw more attention to himself would be if his new alias were to be “James Spy McSpyface Bond”

Yes, combined with that local paper report above he does seem more Johnny English than 007.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Good news, especially as he still denies being a British spy.

On release he said the life sentence had left him shaken. But not stirred.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

This local coverage today has a little bit of insight into what intel he was gathering, and also claims that the UAE tried to resolve it all through diplomatic channels with the UK, but were ignored and therefore felt they had to take it to court.

Er, were those attempts made when a certain fat blond cretin was foreign secretary, at all