UK GOVERNMENT officials “missed signs” that British acadamic Matthew Hedges might have been tortured while detained in Abu Dhabi in 2018, and should apologise and compensate him, a watchdog ruled today.

Hedges, who had travelled to the United Arab Emirates to carry out research for his PhD, claimed he was kept in solitary confinement, interrogated and forcibly given medicine during his six-month detention.

He had been arrested at Dubai airport on suspicion of being a spy for the British government, but was eventually released a week after being handed a life sentence.

After probing the UK’s handling of his case, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) concluded that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) had “failed to follow its own guidance on detecting potential torture”.

It directed the department to formally apologise to Hedges and pay him £1,500 (US$1,900) in compensation. 

When FCDO staff visited Hedges in detention, they missed signs of torture despite noticing his voice shaking and his mentions of anxiety attacks, the PHSO said.

“It is hard to imagine the experience that Mr Hedges has endured and quite how terrifying his detention must have been,” said PHSO chief Rebecca Hilsenrath.

“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 Hedges and he will have to live with that for the rest of his life.”

Hedges, who filed a complaint with the ombudsman in 2021, welcomed its findings, telling BBC Radio that “this is at its core the first step in enabling me to truly heal”. 

He said the FCDO had promised to investigate its own handling of his case, and report back, but “this didn’t happen”.

“First and foremost, the most crucial thing for my recovery is a formal apology from the foreign office,” Hedges added.

An FCDO spokesperson said it would review the ombudsman’s findings and “respond in due course”. 

“The best interests of British nationals, including those detained overseas, is at the heart of our consular work and we support their families wherever we can,” the spokesperson added.