A decorated former member of the British elite forces of the Marines (Royal Marines) remains for seven months in a prison in Dubai, where he is charged with espionage, The Times newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Matt Croucher, 40, who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq and was decorated for bravery, was arrested in November and has since been barred from leaving the United Arab Emirates and his passport has been confiscated, according to the Times report.

The former soldier is facing charges that he “deliberately and illegally” gained “access to a telecommunications network” and was questioned about his ties to his country’s Ministry of Defense, according to the newspaper.

In a statement cited by The Times of London, Mr Croucher’s family denounced the prosecution against him, which they called “fabricated and ridiculous”, while stressing that they did not understand why “the Dubai authorities took so long” to handle the case.

In 2008, while serving in Afghanistan, Petty Officer Croucher threw himself, using his rucksack to protect his body, onto a cable-triggered Taliban grenade during an operation to save fellow soldiers. For this act he was awarded the George Cross, Britain’s highest military award, along with the Victoria Cross.

Mr Croucher, now a security consultant, lived in Dubai from 2014 to 2021 where he “co-operated” with local law enforcement agencies, according to the newspaper report.

“We are providing support to a British person” in the UAE and “we are in contact with local authorities,” a British Foreign Office spokesman said.