US citizen Paul Whelan, who was sentenced to 16 years in prison in Russia on espionage charges, will not appeal the court's ruling and will wait for the exchange instead, Whelan's lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, told Sputnik on Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd June, 2020) US citizen Paul Whelan, who was sentenced to 16 years in prison in Russia on espionage charges, will not appeal the court's ruling and will wait for the exchange instead, Whelan's lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, told Sputnik on Tuesday.
"Whelan will not appeal, he does not believe in the Russian justice system. His exchange is being discussed now," the lawyer sad.
Whelan's defense has suggested that Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service was considering exchanging him for Viktor Bout or Konstantin Yaroshenko, who are in prison in the US.
Whelan has not pleaded guilty. His defense claims he was a victim of a provocation.
