Paul Whelan, ex-marine accused of spying, may have been unaware of possession
A Russian lawyer for Paul Whelan, the US citizen accused of spying on Russia, has said his client was carrying state secrets when he was arrested in Moscow but may not have realised it.
Whelan, an ex-marine, has been accused of an unspecified “act of espionage”, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Continue reading...It was suggested Moscow could use Paul Whelan to barter for release of Russian jailed in US
Moscow has denied that a former US marine is being held as a bargaining chip for a jailed Russian spy, after Jeremy Hunt warned against using Britons as pawns.
Paul Whelan, 48, who has UK citizenship, was arrested in the Russian capital last week, apparently on espionage charges.
Continue reading...British foreign secretary says Paul Whelan should not be used as a diplomatic pawn
The British foreign secretary has warned Russia not to try to use Paul Whelan, the British–American national arrested on spying charges, as a diplomatic pawn.
Jeremy Hunt said the UK was “extremely worried” about Hunt and had offered consular assistance. It emerged on Friday that Whelan, detained a week ago in Moscow, also holds Irish and Canadian passports, adding more layers of complexity to a potentially fraught diplomatic incident.
Continue reading...