Paul Whelan holds a message as he stands inside a defendants' cage before a hearing at the Lefortovo Court in Moscow on October 24, 2019. PHOTO: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia and the United States are in talks on a possible prisoner swap that could secure the release of Paul Whelan, a former U.S. marine jailed for spying, within two to three months, his lawyer told Reuters on Monday.
Russia convicted Whelan, who holds U.S., British, Canadian and Irish passports, of spying last June and sentenced him to 16 years in jail.
He denied spying and said he was set up in a sting operation.
Washington demanded his release.
Moscow said that Whelan had been caught red-handed with classified information in a Moscow hotel room where agents from the Federal Security Service detained him on Dec. 28, 2018.
Whelan’s Russian lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, said that talks on an exchange were now taking place between Russian and U.S. security services.
“I speak with the siloviks (Russia’s security services). They say that negotiations are under way. The question with an exchange will be resolved,” he said.
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WNU Editor: In return for Paul Whelan the Kremlin will probably want Viktor Bout and Konstantin Yaroshenko.
1 comment:
They won't get Viktor under any circumstances.
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