A British student is being detained in solitary confinement in the United Arab Emirates amid accusations of spying, according to his wife.
Matthew Hedges, 31, who had travelled for a PhD research trip, was arrested at the airport when he tried to leave Dubai in May.
Following this he was taken to Abu Dhabi where he has been held since, as reported by the The Times.
He has only been able to call his mother once and receive a single visit from his wife, Daniela Tejada.
Mr Hedges’ colleagues believe he is suspected of spying for Qatar, his wife said.
But she told the paper: “We all know that is not true.”
His wife also said when she saw him in July he was struggling mentally, with depression and panic attacks, while he was also “constantly shaking”.
“He seemed to be very cautious about what he said and what he didn't say which leads me to think he might have been coerced into saying or not saying things,” she told The Times.
On Wednesday, Mr Hedges was allowed to speak to a lawyer and appeared in the country’s state security court.
Mr Hedge’s PhD, he was completing at Durham Universirty, was on Emirati security policies after the Arab Spring.
The charges against him have not been detailed.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "Our staff are supporting a British man following his detention in the UAE.
"We are assisting his family and remain in close contact with the local authorities.
"The foreign secretary has also personally raised his case with his Emirati counterpart."
