According to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), Whelan was detained in Moscow on December 28, 2018, while on a spy mission.
US national Paul Whelan, suspected of espionage in Russia, had documents containing state secrets at the time of his detention, told lawyer Vladimir Zherebenkov.
“I can confirm that at the time of his detention, Whelan had some documents containing state secrets, but I cannot go into details,” the lawyer said.
In this regard, Zherebenkov cited the Russian Foreign Ministry’s statements. “I am not allowed to comment on the case files but since this information was mentioned in the Foreign Ministry’s statements, I can confirm it,” he said.
On Tuesday, the Moscow City Court will consider an appeal against Whelan’s arrest. The hearing will take place behind closed doors, while British, US and Canadian consuls are expected to attend it.