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Documents containing state secrets were seized from espionage suspect Whelan, says lawyer

Later on January 22, the Moscow City Court will consider an appeal against Whelan’s arrest

A view of a building of the Lefortovo pretrial detention facility in Moscow where Paul Whelan is held EPA-EFE/MAXIM SHIPENKOV

A view of a building of the Lefortovo pretrial detention facility in Moscow where Paul Whelan is held

© EPA-EFE/MAXIM SHIPENKOV

MOSCOW, January 22. /TASS/. US national Paul Whelan, suspected of espionage in Russia, had documents containing state secrets at the time of his detention, lawyer Vladimir Zherebenkov told TASS.

"I can confirm that at the time of his detention, Whelan had some documents containing state secrets, but I cannot go into details," the lawyer said.

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Visit by US diplomats to Paul Whelan postponed by Russian authorities — brother

In this regard, Zherebenkov cited the Russian Foreign Ministry’s statements. "I am not allowed to comment on the case files but since this information was mentioned in the Foreign Ministry’s statements, I can confirm it," he said.

On Tuesday, the Moscow City Court will consider an appeal against Whelan’s arrest. The hearing will take place behind closed doors, while British, US and Canadian consuls are expected to attend it.

Whelan’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, is 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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