MOSCOW, April 13. /TASS/. Citizen of the US and a number of other nations Paul Whelan, accused of espionage against Russia, denied his guilt during the first substantive hearing in the Russian court, Whelan’s attorney Vladimir Zherebenkov told TASS.

"The court has read the indictment. After that, Whelan took the floor, denying his guilt and saying that his case is a Federal Security Service (FSB) provocation," the attorney said.

According to Zherebenkov, the witnesses will testify during the next hearing due on April 20.

Whelan, who, besides the US citizenship, also has citizenships of Canada and Ireland, was apprehended by the FSB employees on December 28, 2018. The FSB’s Investigative Directorate has initiated criminal proceedings on espionage charges, which carry a punishment of 10 to 20 years in prison.

According to the defense, the investigation accuses Whelan of espionage in favor of the US intelligence services. Whelan denies his guilt and the defense insists that the entire case is fabricated.