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Ex-US Marine detained in Russia holds UK passport: Moscow

Friday, 04 January 2019 5:51 PM [ Last Update: Friday, 04 January 2019 7:02 PM ]

An undated photo of Paul Whelan, a former American Marine

Russia's Foreign Ministry says a former American Marine recently detained in Moscow on spying charges is also a British citizen.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday that Paul Whelan, who was detained on December 28 in Moscow "while carrying out an act of espionage," holds a UK passport in addition to his American travel document.

She added that British diplomats have sent a request for consular visits.

Russia's FSB state security service opened a criminal case against the 48-year-old, whose family denied the charges, saying he was visiting Moscow for the wedding of a retired Marine to a Russian woman.

On Friday, Britain slammed Russia for detaining Whelan, accusing Moscow of using British citizens as diplomatic pawns.

"We don't agree with individuals being used in diplomatic chess games... We are all extremely worried about him and his family," Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told the BBC in an interview, adding, "We need to see what these charges are against him."

Diplomatic ties between Russia and the UK are tense, particularly following a nerve agent attack in March 2018 on a former spy in the city of Salisbury.

Britain alleged that Russia had ordered the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, a former double spy, and his daughter in southern England.

Russia has denied any involvement and even some officials in Moscow believe the entire story, which led to a serious political fallout with the Western countries, was fabricated by the British intelligence agencies to target Russia.

Whelan was reportedly visited by US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman on Wednesday.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington wants a clarification regarding Whelan's arrest and will demand his immediate return if it determines his detention is inappropriate.

If convicted, Whelan could face up to 20 years in prison.

PressTV-US demands Russia explain detention of ex-Marine

The United States wants an explanation for why Russia detained a former US Marine on spying charges in Moscow.

Since late 2016, US spying agencies have been accusing Russia of meddling in the American presidential election.

Back then, Washington alleged that Russia had influenced the election in favor of Donald Trump, running a massive secret social media trolling and targeted messaging operation, an allegation Moscow strongly denied. The US has imposed a series of unilateral sanctions against Moscow over the claims.

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