Senior Whitehall insiders turned on Jeremy Hunt on Thursday night over the jailing of a British student in the Gulf, claiming the Foreign Secretary had upset two crown princes by ‘lecturing’ them on human rights.
A well-placed Government source suggested Mr Hunt’s attempt to intervene in Matthew Hedges’ case on a tour of the region 10 days ago had backfired spectacularly.
Mr Hedges, 31, a Durham University phd student originally from Exeter, was jailed for life on Wednesday, having spent six months in solitary confinement, over allegations he was an MI6 spy.
The ruling by a court in Abu Dhabi had caught the British Government off guard and has plunged the UK and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) …
To continue reading this article
Start a 30-day free trial for unlimited access to Premium articles
- Unlimited access to Premium articles
- Subscriber-only events and experiences
- Cancel any time
Free for 30 days
then only £2 per week
Try Premium
Save 25% with an annual subscription
Just £75 per year
Save now
Register for free and access one Premium article per week
Register
Only subscribers have unlimited access to Premium articles.Register for free to continue reading this article
RegisterOr unlock all Premium articles.
Free for 30 days, then just £1 per week
Start trial
Save 40% when you pay annually.
View all subscription options |
Already have an account? Login