A STUDENT who was allegedly tortured into signing a false confession after he was arrested in the Middle East has been released.

Ahmad Zeidan from Reading was sentenced to nine years in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2014, after being convicted of facilitation of consumption of a narcotic substance to another.

The 23-year-old was found with 0.04 grams of cocaine in the car he was travelling in, with a street value of just £3.

Judges reduced his sentence to seven years following a review in October, but the Aviation Management student continued to wait for Home Office intervention after his studies at Emirates Aviation College were abruptly halted.

A spokesman for the International Campaign for Freedom in the UAE said: "Whilst we welcome the release of Ahmad Zeidan, we urgently call upon the Emirati authorities to institute a judicial system that is in line with internationally recognised legal standards.

"It is imperative that Zeidan's case be understood within a wider climate of repression inside the country, where in recent years there have been numerous cases of both Emirati's and non-Emirati's being subjected to all manner of mistreatment, including torture, by the UAE authorities.

"In light of this case and others, it is crucial that the British government do more to inform its citizens of the real risks and dangers of travelling to the UAE."

Zeidan claimed he was tortured into signing the confession, while all the other men travelling in the car with him were given pardons.

He went on a three-day hunger strike and was unsuccessful in his appeal for a Royal Pardon.

Following the reduction, a lawyer later altered the sentence to five years, most of which had already been served by the Reading student.

Legal charity Reprieve continued to intervene during his inprisonment.

Reprieve investigator Kate Higham said: “This sentence, based on Ahmad’s ‘confession’ under torture, is the result of a shockingly flawed trial process.

“Sadly, Ahmad’s case is just one of many that point to the systematic use of police torture in the UAE, and its acceptance by the authorities."