US Ambassador in Russia John Sullivan has been barred from the trial of former US marine Paul Whelan, accused of espionage, because of the epidemic-related restrictions on attendance, a spokeswoman for the Moscow city court told Sputnik on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th April, 2020) US Ambassador in Russia John Sullivan has been barred from the trial of former US marine Paul Whelan, accused of espionage, because of the epidemic-related restrictions on attendance, a spokeswoman for the Moscow city court told Sputnik on Monday.

Sullivan told reporters outside the court that he last saw the US national weeks ago and was disappointed that he had been turned away.

"Due to the epidemiological situation in Moscow and by the orders of the Moscow mayor and the Russian Supreme Court the entry to the Moscow city court has been restricted. Only people who are part of the legal process are allowed to enter," Ulyana Solopova said.

She stressed that the trial had been ordered to be held behind closed doors because of the sensitiveness of the espionage accusations against Whelan.

Sullivan said the secrecy surrounding the case was a serious problem that weighed on the US-Russian relationship and called for a transparent trial.

Whelan, who also holds Canadian, Irish and UK passports, was detained during a trip to Moscow in late 2018 and has spent 16 months in jail. He faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty. The corporate security executive at a car parts firm has regularly traveled to Russia since 2007.