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Penitentiary Service hands list of 17 US convicts to Foreign Ministry for possible swap

The list does not include Paul Whelan, who was convicted of espionage

MOSCOW, June 16. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service has handed over to the Foreign Ministry a list of 17 Americans, who were convicted in Russia, for their possible exchange for the Russians serving their sentences in the United States, Eva Merkacheva, a member of the Public Council at the Federal Penitentiary Service, told TASS.

"The list, which the Federal Penitentiary Service sent to the Foreign Ministry, includes US citizens convicted in our country for domestic or common criminal offences. A total of 17 Americans are on the list. Nine of them are held in penal colonies and eight in pre-trial detention centers," Merkacheva said, adding that the list was formed for potential exchanges in the future.

She pointed out that the list does not include Paul Whelan, who was convicted of espionage.

"However, it might have student Trevor Reed, who was convicted of assaulting police officers in Moscow," the human rights activist said.

Merkacheva added that she does not know what names are on the list, since it is already in the Foreign Ministry.

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