Russia Accused Paul Whelan of Spying on ‘Confidential Military Structures’
ALLEGATIONS
Paul Whelan—an American with Canadian, Irish, and British citizenship who was arrested in Moscow on suspicion of spying last month—has now been accused of gathering information about a Russian military structure, The Telegraph reports. Whelan was charged with espionage, which carries a 10 to 20 year prison sentence, but details of the case have not been announced. Russian investigators reportedly believe that Whelan was gathering information about “classified military structures,” and have recordings of his phone calls and online chats. Whelan was reportedly meeting with a friend from VK, the Russian social network, near the Kremlin when he was arrested by security agents on December 28, a source told the newspaper. The State Department has not commented on the arrest, but has requested access to Whelan.