British academic arrives in London from UAE after pardon for spy conviction

British academic Matthew Hedges, who has been jailed for spying in the UAE, is seen in this undated photo supplied by his wife Daniela Tejada. Photo supplied on November 23, 2018. Daniele Tajada/Handout via REUTERS

By Ahmed Jadallah

DUBAI (Reuters) - A flight carrying British academic Matthew Hedges landed at London Heathrow airport on Tuesday morning, a day after he was pardoned in the United Arab Emirates from a life sentence for spying, a Reuters photographer said.

The UAE pardoned Matthew Hedges on Monday after showing a video of him purportedly confessing to being a member of Britain's MI6 intelligence agency. Britain has denied he was a spy and welcomed his pardon.

(Reporting by Ahmed Jadallah in London, writing by Alexander Cornwell in Dubai, editing by Nick Macfie)