FILE PHOTO: British academic Matthew Hedges, who has been jailed for spying in the UAE, is seen in this undated photo supplied by his wife Daniela Tejada. Photo supplied on November 23, 2018. Daniele Tajada/Handout via REUTER

DUBAI (Reuters) - British academic Matthew Hedges thanked Britain’s foreign ministry on Tuesday for ensuring his safe return to the United Kingdom.

Hedges arrived in London on Tuesday a day after he was pardoned in the United Arab Emirates from a life sentence in a spying case.

“Thank you so much to the British Embassy and the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) for their efforts in ensuring I arrived safely back home,” Hedges said in a statement.