The Foreign Office failed to notice a UK academic might have been tortured when its staff visited him while in detention in Abu Dhabi, the UK’s national Ombudsman has found.
Matthew Hedges had travelled to the United Arab Emirates to carry out research for his PhD when he was arrested at Dubai airport on suspicion of being a spy for the British Government.
Mr Hedges said that during his six-month detention in 2018, he was interrogated for 8-15 hours a day, kept in solitary confinement, and was forcibly given medication. He suffered panic attacks and was placed under intense psychological pressure. He said that when a representative from the British Embassy was allowed to visit him, he was supervised by guards who told him what to say.
He complained to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) failed to notice he was being mistreated.
The Ombudsman’s investigation found that the UK government failed to follow its own guidance on detecting potential torture and mistreatment of British nationals. When they visited him, embassy staff noted Mr Hedges’ voice was shaking. He avoided eye contact and mentioned having anxiety attacks. These were all signs that he might have been subject to torture or mistreatment.
FCDO guidelines state that staff should act on these warning signs even when they do not have consent. Given that Mr Hedges was supervised at all times by those he alleges were mistreating him, it must have been clear to FCDO staff that he was not in a position to give or withhold consent.
PHSO Chief Executive Rebecca Hilsenrath said:
“It is hard to imagine the experience that Mr Hedges has endured and quite how terrifying his detention must have been. The nightmare was made even worse by being failed by the British Government. He trusted them to help him and they let him down. Officials failed to notice signs of torture, failed to intervene and failed to help.
“At the end of the day, the role of the government is to protect its citizens and this was a profound failure. The impact will run deep for Mr Hedges and he will have to live with that for the rest of his life. This must not happen again to anyone else. We have asked the FCDO to make sure it will fully use all its powers to protect British citizens abroad, and ensure that they are there precisely when they are most needed.”