The conviction of Mr. Hedges, and his sentence of life in prison, had been met with outrage in Britain.
LONDON — Matthew Hedges, the British academic who was sentenced last week to life in prison by the United Arab Emirates on spying charges, was pardoned on Monday with immediate effect, the state news media reported.
The conviction of Mr. Hedges, and the severity of the sentence, had been met with outrage in Britain, where Prime Minister Theresa May promised to raise the issue at the “highest level” with the United Arab Emirates.
According to the state news agency, WAM, the Ministry of Presidential Affairs said that Mr. Hedges, 31, had been pardoned by Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates.
