Parliamentary Ombudsman finds FCDO failed to protect torture victim

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Carter-Ruck

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1 minute

The Parliamentary Ombudsman has held that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office failed to protect Matthew Hedges, the British academic who was falsely imprisoned and tortured in the UAE over a period of more than six months in 2018.

The Ombudsman has called upon the FCDO to apologise to Mr Hedges and to pay compensation. The Ombudsman has also called upon the FCDO to explain what it will do to ensure its handling of similar circumstances is in line with relevant guidelines to protect British citizens abroad.

This latest development is an important victory for Mr Hedges – as well as for the rights of all British citizens abroad – and has featured extensively in the media, including in The Telegraph, The Guardian and The Financial Times.

Mr Hedges is represented by Cameron Doley, François Holmey and Amber Courtier at Carter-Ruck.

Parliamentary Ombudsman finds FCDO failed to protect torture victim

The Parliamentary Ombudsman has held that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office failed to protect Matthew Hedges, the British academic who was falsely imprisoned and tortured in the UAE over a period of more than six months in 2018.

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