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Espionage suspect’s arrest not part of any swap plan for detained Russians, Lavrov affirms

The US embassy in Moscow has filed another request to visit Paul Whelan

© EPA-EFE/MAXIM SHIPENKOV

MOSCOW, January 16. /TASS/. Paul Whelan’s arrest in Russia on spying charges is not connected with any rumored intention to exchange him for some of the Russians in custody abroad, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a news conference devoted to the results of 2018.

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Swapping Whelan for Russians in US custody out of the question, says Russian diplomat

Lavrov pointed out that speculations over the arrest "might be connected with the wish to exchange Whelan for some Russian citizens has nothing to do with the reality."

"We never do such things. Let me say this once again, he was caught red-handed," Lavrov said.

The US embassy in Moscow has filed another request to visit Paul Whelan, Lavrov added.

He pointed out that US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman had already visited Whelan. "There is another request for a visit from the US embassy, which will be granted," he said.

American’s detention

According to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), Whelan was detained in Moscow on December 28, 2018, while on a spy mission. The FSB Investigative Department opened an investigation under Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code (espionage), which carries a punishment of ten to 20 years in prison.

Whelan, 48, works as the corporate security director for automotive parts supplier BorgWarner. According to the Washington Post, he enlisted in the US Marines in 1994 and "rose through the ranks to become a staff sergeant, serving two tours in Iraq, in 2004 and 2006." However, Whelan "was discharged for bad conduct in 2008 after being convicted of several charges related to larceny."

Apart from US citizenship, Whelan also holds British, Canadian and Irish passports. US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman visited him at Moscow’s Lefortovo pre-trial detention center on January 2.

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