LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said on Friday it hopes the United Arab Emirates looks favorably on the request for clemency from the family of an academic jailed on spying charges.

“We hope the UAE now looks favorably on the family’s request for clemency,” a spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said.

The UAE has signaled Matthew Hedges, who was sentenced to life in prison on charges of spying for the British government, could be freed, saying it was hopeful of an “amicable solution”.