My knowledge about this case comes only from the Wikipedia link you provided, but were the consequences in that case any different than what a U.S. citizen would face? I agree that DMCA cases are problematic to say the least. But I don't think it is at all reasonable to conclude, "If that's the trouble a simple DMCA case gets you, imagine what you face for foreign espionage" -- because we don't really need to imagine the latter. In Sklyarov's case, and in actual espionage cases, we know the details of the charges and judicial proceedings, even if we think the punishment/indictments are out of whack.
We don't seem to really know anything about UAE's case at the present moment. From The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/21/british-academ...
> However, Emirati press claimed Hedges had confessed to the charges against him and the case had been passed to the state security court. There is no independent confirmation of this claim. Hedges was taken to court in Abu Dhabi twice in October, with the case being adjourned both times.
Again, Gitmo notwithstanding, I can't recall a U.S. case being handle in this fashion:
> Tejada said that during the first six weeks he was interrogated without a lawyer or consular access, and held in “inhuman” conditions under which his mental health deteriorated. During this time he was allegedly made to sign a document in Arabic which it has now been disclosed was a confession statement. Hedges does not speak or read Arabic.
