Is it not foolhardy to go to such countries to do research in their foreign and internal security policies with the obvious risk of being charged with ‘spying’?

Deserves it. Keep your nose out of other peoples business.

The UK is a beta country now with extremely limited capacity in the world order. At best; they'll make a half-hearted attempt at a press briefing on this one.

A classical example of quick result, without conducting proper and thorough investigation relating to spying charges - this raises a few obvious questions like: is there any hard evidence of spying activities, who was the mastermind and what secret information was leaked or given to UK's agents, etc? I have my reservations!

Security policies can vary from public matters to defence related secret information of a country. His research topic is also incomprehensible. And, Probably the way he collected or tried to collect some sensitive information of UAE which might have led to his implication / punishment.

Spying against UAE? What UAE has that someone will spy?

Expel him and let him go.

Very sensitive topic for ph d indeed.

He is British. He will receive a Royal Pardon very shortly and will back home before New Year.

Spying YES. Thia is how they have been doing foe the last few centuries. Students NGOs Humanitarian are all Covers.

The guy took obvious risk to carryout research on a country’s external and internal security policies, in the present setting when the whole region is embroiled in political rivalry between neighboring countries. Keeping in view that discriminatory documentary evidence was found on his computer, it was not hard to visualize what is going to happen. The British govt. having its minuscule influence in the region can’t do much, other than reducing his life sentence to few years imprisnonment and that too through high level diplomacy. The accused is definitely in a very unpromising situation and that too in a middle eastern country. This leaves us with one conclusion that no country whether small or big, never tolerates this high tech spying camouflaged in educational research and therefore, leaves one with an option to take such a high risk or not just for the sake of for future employment with the sponsoring agency which provides initial funding of boarding and lodging of such ventures.

There is nothing to spy. All work their is being done by expatriates. Also, I am sure Britain have enough muscles to get their citizen out of UAE

Appeal, prove innocence and get out of UAE. Leave your research there.

Why would you ever go this country?

There are no civil rights in middle eastern countries, he should have known that.Hopefully, if he is innocent the british consulate can help him.

Trust me if he is real British spy he will eventually be free. Such is the grip of Anglo-american on Gulf monarchies. Or they perish.

What a silly decision. I don't think anyone in UAE ever does any research. He was just studying the impact of Arab Spring on UAE Security. This is quite a normal topic for research in Governance and International Studies. Middle Eastern region is quite popular for research specially for someone focusing on War and Conflict. There are lots of institutions who have separate departments in Middle Eastern Studies. Are they going to lock everyone up for simply studying?

You should use commonsense.

First of all, UAE or any other country's security policies are no one else's business. Secondly, his research can only harm UAE, nor benefit it in any way. Earlier he had said that he was not going to share his research with the British government. Publishing his thesis is kept under seal? Please don't insult people's intelligence. His stupidity is beyond belief. Just imagine what the US government would do to Arab students living in Washington DC and snooping around the Pentagon, the Congress and the White House "studying" their security measures. They would not be filing their appeal in Washington DC, rather it would be in Guantanamo Bay prison, trying to convert their death sentence to one of life imprisonment.

I don't understand when western will use their common sense. Spying is a sensitive matter.

@A shah, that my friend is a million dollar question.

@Saleem, that is the beauty of their agency efficiency. People dont it.

@Newborn, Don’t count on it.

Within 40-50 yrs, all these oil countries will dry out. Oil is the only reason why others care them. Don't have brain to do anything by themselves. What will happen then who knows.

He will now be deported to U.K. That's the punishment Arabs have for EUrope and US and Western nations. They can only jail people from poor countries!

Worst punishment (death) is what similar case would’ve in Israel.

The forefathers and ancestors of a particular country.

@Concerned Citizen , USA, well said.

Obviously, UAE has hard evidence of what he actually was researching.

He must have used common sense before embarking upon such a nasty and controversial research dissertation project. No country in the whole world will allow such a research study related to their national security policy by a foreign national and UAE is not an exception in this case.