Russian court finds ex-US marine Paul Whelan guilty of espionage, sentences him to 16 years in prison

Eighteen months after

Eighteen months after he was arrested in a Moscow hotel room and accusing of spying, a Russian court has handed down a 16 year jail term to Paul Whelan, a national of four western countries: Canada, Ireland, the US and the UK.

The 50-year-old defendant described the trial, partly held behind closed doors, as a “sham” and protested his innocence throughout the process. After Monday morning’s verdict, he immediately stated that he intends to appeal. There have been suggestions that Whelan could be returned to the US in a prisoner swap.

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