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Whelan placed in disciplinary cell, says lawyer referring to Paul’s brother

The Moscow City Court found Paul Whelan guilty of spying against Russia and sentenced him to 16 years in a high security colony

MOSCOW, July 29./TASS/. American Paul Whelan, found guilty of espionage, has been placed in a disciplinary cell for violating regulations, his lawyer Olga Karlova said on Thursday.

"As Paul’s brother David told me, Whelan was sent to an isolation ward for a certain minor offence. I myself cannot check this promptly since I was denied a telephone call with Whelan. I emailed the colony with an inquiry, but there has been no answer as of yet," Karlova said.

On December 28, 2018, Whelan, who has the citizenship of the US, the UK, Canada and Ireland, was detained by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in a room of the Metropol Hotel in Moscow while on an alleged spy mission. The FSB opened a criminal case against him on charges of espionage under Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code. The Moscow City Court found Whelan guilty of spying against Russia and sentenced him to 16 years in a high security colony.

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