Russia charges detained American Paul Whelan with espionage

Paul Whelan's family say he was in Moscow for a wedding
Paul Whelan's family say he was in Moscow for a wedding

Russia has formally charged a former US Marine being held in Moscow with espionage, according to the Interfax News agency.

The Russian Federal Security Service, or FSB, detained Paul Whelan on December 28 on suspicion of spying but has not given details of his alleged activities.

Russian media reported that an American was detained while trying to get a flash-card from a Russian in the prestigious Metropole hotel, a stone's throw from the Kremlin. The card, officials said, contained sensitive data concerning Russian security.  

The official charges were filed on Thursday by the Russian Investigative Committee. A source close to the investigation told Interfax that the American has denied the charges. 

His lawyer Vladimir Zherebenkov told Interfax that he has appealed charges against an American. According to the lawyer, the court ruled that Mr Whelan will remain in detention until February 28. 

Mr Zherebenkov said that he has sent an appeal to Moscow's City Court today to "reverse the decision on Mr Whelan's arrest and choose for him another measure, such as bail". 

The lawyer said that his client was enduring his custody well, with the TASS News agency quoting Mr Zherebenkov as saying Mr Whelan “remains in a good mood and cracks jokes”. 

America's Ambassador to Russia, Jon Huntsman, met with Mr Whelan at Moscow's Lefortovo Prison on Wednesday.

America has pushed for an explanation of Mr Whelan's detention, with Mike Pompeo, the Secretary of State, saying on Wednesday that he would demand his "immediate return" if the US determines his detention is inappropriate.

Mr Whelan's family has said that he was in Moscow to attend the wedding of a friend, a fellow former Marine and is innocent of the espionage charges against him. It appears that Mr Whelan, a 48-year-old corporate security director from the Detroit area, was a regular visitor to Russia, in an outdated photograph he poses with a white dog with some Sovet-era building behind him.

Under Russian law, espionage can carry sentences of between 10 and 20 years in prison.

The timing of Mr Whelan’s arrest, just weeks after a Russian gun rights activist pleaded guilty to Kremlin interference in a US court, has raised questions about a potential swap. 

Maria Butina's arrest and guilty plea have increased tensions in US-Russian relations. The 30-year-old is the first Russian national to be convicted of seeking to influence US policy in the 2016 election campaign. Moscow has claimed she is a political prisoner,  calling the criminal case against her a "modern political inquisition".

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