Paul Whelan: US 'spy' indicted in Russia

If found guilty, Paul Whelan could face more than 10 years in prison

A view shows the pre-trial detention centre Lefortovo, where former US Marine Paul Whelan is reportedly held in custody in Moscow (REUTERS)

Russia has reportedly charged a US citizen and former Marine being held over alleged espionage.

Paul Whelan, 48, was detained by Russian security service agents in Moscow in late December. According to the Interfax news agency, which cites an “informed source,” Mr Whelan has rejected the charges.

His family have protested his “undoubted” innocence, claiming the Iraq war veteran and security analyst was in Russia for a wedding of a fellow ex-Marine.

In a statement on Twitter, his brother, David Whelan, said the family learned of his arrest from the news and were “deeply concerned for his safety and well-being.”

On Wednesday, US Ambassador to Russia John Huntsman was granted permission to visit Mr Whelan in Lefortovo prison in Moscow. But official comment from the Trump administration has been limited, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo only offering a few words warning against “inappropriate detention.”

In the absence of official statements from either side, off-record briefings in the Russian media have filled some gaps — though questions about their reliability prevail.

Rosbalt, a St Petersburg based publication with documented links to the security services, suggested that Mr Whelan was arrested in his room in an upmarket central Moscow hotel. Referring to a source in the security services, it says the US citizen was detained five minutes after an acquaintance handed him a flash drive containing the names of serving Russian agents.

Mr Whelan had employed “non-standard” methods for his spying, including the use of social media, Rosbalt added. He had tried to “recruit” this unnamed acquaintance “multiple times,” with the aim of obtaining information about the security services.

Mr Whelan's Lawyer Vladimir Zherebenkov has refused to comment on the case, citing court restrictions, but confirmed to Russian media that he has appealed against the terms of his detention and has applied for bail.

Mr Whelan’s future seems uncertain, and will likely depend on a political decision at the highest level.

Both Russian and American media have carried much speculation about a possible swap with Marina Butina, a Russian woman who pleaded guilty of conspiring to act as a foreign agent in America in December.

The timing of Mr Whelan’s arrest, coming just 15 days after Butina’s guilty plea has raised some suspicions about the Kremlin’s real motivations. But given the strained nature of US-Russia relations, a swap may well end up being Mr Whelan’s best card.

If found guilty – and more than 99 per cent of cases brought to court in Russia end this way – the former Marine could face more than 10 years in prison.