Russia 'Not Okay' With US Criticism Over Whelan's Espionage Conviction - Security Official

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th August, 2020) Ex-US marine Paul Whelan got a due process in Russia and Washington's protests against his conviction on spying charges are inappropriate, the deputy secretary of Russia's Security Council told Sputnik.

Alexander Venediktov said the 50-year-old American, who also holds UK, Canadian and Irish citizenship, "was arrested on perfectly legal grounds in line with all Russian and international legal rules, and Washington's protests are inappropriate."

He argued that the US Department of Justice had made a habit of having Russian nationals arrested but objected to Americans being put on trial in Russia. "We are not okay with this logic," the national security official added.

The Russian Federal security agency, FSB, says Whelan was caught red-handed in Moscow in December 2018. He was sentenced to 16 years of hard labor in June and transferred to a prison in Mordovia region southeast of Moscow earlier in August. He denied the charges.