Matthew Hedges To Be Released

[grumpy01]

Well done to Jeremy Hunt and his officials on gaining Mr Hedges release.Would Bojo have been as successful?

[sandyRoe]

If Bojo was still at the FO Mr Hedges would probably now be facing an appointment with a headsman.

[wolf63]

It was only a matter of time before this happened - but a bit quicker than expected.

[wolf63]

It's easy to assume this guy is innocent but is he?

[dannyk13]

He was pardoned after confessing his guilt.

[naomi24]

//Would Bojo have been as successful? //

No one can say.

He confessed his guilt, danny?

[dannyk13]

According to the news yes.

[Old_Geezer]

Claimed signing something in Arabic.
Unsure if he's a spy or not, but if so he'd be a remarkably incompetent one. Even told folk what he was doing.

[sandyRoe]

More Bean than Bond?

[Old_Geezer]

No reason to think the individual who is foreign secretary would make much difference.

[wolf63]

sandyRoe - have you discarded that part of the world from your list of places to walk ?

[naomi24]

danny, according to this:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46341310

...prosecutors said he confessed but that doesn't mean he did - and if he had I really can't imagine they'd have let him go so easily.

[Baldric]

/// It is common practice to offer a link to the news article you would like to discuss ///

[AuntLydia]

A confession apparently was extracted from him. There is a recording of him speaking about how an MI6 agent would go about collecting security information, but his words were taken out of context and are being treated as an academic answer to questions asked by his interrogators. I guess a lot could have been lost in translation.
I doubt he's a spy, but one never knows.

[dannyk13]

It is very likely that a confession was a requirement to him getting. pardon

[naomi24]

^Speculation.

[sandyRoe]

Wolf63,
I was thinking of the Irraeli National Trail.
But there are desert sections where you need to carry a great deal of water.
I'll probably go back and walk in Spain again

[AuntLydia]

I think he was a huge problem they didn't know what to do with, The Saudi Gov. could not be seen to find him innocent as it would make them look weak, so they hurried through a guilty verdict just in time for 'National Day' where they could then give him a pardon, as is the Tradition, and make them look the better for it.

[dannyk13]

Naomi, you cannot pardon an innocent person.

[emmie]

whatever he has done i for one am glad he is out.

[naomi24]

danny, //Naomi, you cannot pardon an innocent person. //

Not that I agree it's the right thing to do, but we do it in this country. We've pardoned several people who've been wrongly convicted.