State secrets were on US man during Russia arrest, says his lawyer

Source: The Guardian

A Russian lawyer for Paul Whelan, the US citizen accused of spying on Russia, has said his client was carrying state secrets when he was arrested in Moscow but may not have realised it.

Whelan, an ex-marine, has been accused of an unspecified “act of espionage”, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

“I can only confirm that information constituting state secrets was found in the course of Whelan’s detention,” Vladimir Zherebenkov, a court-appointed lawyer, told journalists at a Moscow court on Tuesday. “I do not know how he got it, and what he was supposed to do with it; it is also unknown whether Whelan was aware that he possessed secret information. There is nothing but conjectures so far.”

A judge at the court ruled that Whelan would remain under arrest in Lefortovo prison until at least 28 February as authorities continue their investigation.

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Andrew Roth in Moscow
Tue 22 Jan 2019 11.05 GMT


Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/22/us-man-accused-of-spying-in-russia-may-have-had-state-secrets-says-his-lawyer