US, Irish Diplomats to Have Consular Access to US Citizen Whelan Soon - Ryabkov
US and Irish diplomats will soon be granted consular access to US citizen Paul Whelan, who has been arrested in Russia on charges of espionage, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Tuesday
Whelan, 48, who also has Irish, Canadian and UK citizenship, was detained in Moscow in December last year. He denies the charges and insists he came to Russia only to attend a friend's wedding.
"Consular access to him will be granted in the near future.
He is not only a citizen of the United States, but also Ireland. Irish consular officers will visit him in the coming days. A new consular access for the US embassy is also being worked out," Ryabkov told reporters.
"We are doing our utmost to ensure that there are no complaints about the conditions of his detention. But the nature of his activities is such that the issue will undoubtedly be fully investigated, and the whole situation will be considered in court after he is properly charged," he added.