A British Academic Has Been Sentenced to Life in Prison on Espionage Charges in the United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates has sentenced a British academic to life in prison on spying charges, prompting threats of diplomatic blowback from the United Kingdom.

Matthew Hedges, a 31-year-old Durham University graduate student, was sentenced Wednesday in a five-minute court session in Abu Dhabi, the Washington Post reports. He has 30 days to appeal the verdict.

Hedges was in the country on a two-week trip related to his PhD research on Emirati security policy, his family and university said.