One of the witnesses in the case of Paul Whelan, a former US marine charged in Russia with espionage, has not confirmed the hypothesis about the defendant recruiting him for spying in the interest of foreign powers, lawyer Vladimir Zherebenkov told Sputnik on Tuesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st April, 2020) One of the witnesses in the case of Paul Whelan, a former US marine charged in Russia with espionage, has not confirmed the hypothesis about the defendant recruiting him for spying in the interest of foreign powers, lawyer Vladimir Zherebenkov told Sputnik on Tuesday.

"Whelan's comrade, a former military man, said [during questioning in a Moscow court] that he has known Paul for a long time and that he [Paul] has never recruited him for conducting espionage for the benefit of foreign states," Zherebenkov said.

The witness has also presented Whelan in a positive light, mentioning his affinity for Russia and interest in Russian culture.

Whelan, who is also a citizen of Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, was arrested in Russia in December 2018 on charges of espionage. If convicted, he may face 10 to 20 years in prison.

Whelan has denied the charges and insisted he was in Russia to attend a friend's wedding. Court papers have revealed that he had frequented Russia since 2007.