According to the sentence, voiced by Judge Andrei Suvorov, the American will serve his sentence in a maximum security colony.
According to Interfax, on Monday, the Moscow City Court found U.S. citizen Paul Whelan guilty of espionage and sentenced him to 16 years in prison.
The evidence, including seized flashcards and documents, will be kept in the case.
Whelan’s lawyer Vladimir Zherebenkov said the defense disagreed with the verdict and plans to appeal it within 10 days. According to him, the question of whether to exchange or apply for pardon will be decided after the verdict comes into force.