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Karina Tsurkan, sentenced for espionage, does not count on exchange — lawyer

According to the prosecution, the EX-Inter RAO CEO transferred information about Russian supply of electric energy to Ukraine to Moldovan intelligence

Karina Tsurkan Moscow City Court Press Office/TASS

Karina Tsurkan

© Moscow City Court Press Office/TASS

MOSCOW, December 29. /TASS/. Former CEO of Inter RAO Karina Tsurkan, sentenced to 15 years in prison for spying for Moldova, does not count on exchange, because she has no foreign benefactors, her lawyer Ivan Pavlov told TASS Tuesday, adding that Tsurkan pleaded not guilty.

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"There have been no proposals to exchange Tsurkan, and there is nobody to put them forth. Tsurkan worked for Russia, she’s innocent. She has no foreign benefactors. The matter of pardon is not on the table either because the sentence has not entered force yet," the lawyer said.

On Tuesday, the Moscow City Court sentenced Tsurkan to 15 years, ruling her guilty of espionage for Moldova.

The prosecution sought 18 years in prison, while the lawyers asked for acquittal. The defense intends to appeal the sentence.

According to the prosecution, Tsurkan handed over information regarding Russian supply of electric energy to Ukraine to Moldovan intelligence. She has allegedly been recruited by Moldovan intelligence in 2004, under alias "Carla." In late April 2015, she obtained an electronic copy of "draft Ministry of Energy document on certain aspects of Russian energy companies’ activity in the sphere of international cooperation." She allegedly handed over this document to Moldova at some point before September 29, 2015.

The defendant claims that she has never been acquainted with any foreign intelligence agents and has never seen the mentioned document. She attributes her persecution to an attempt to oust her out of office.

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