MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/: Officers of the US embassy and other diplomatic missions cannot give evidence on the case of US citizen Paul Whelan, who is currently in custody in Russia on suspicion of espionage, although his defense planned to interview them as witnesses, Whelan’s defense attorney Olga Karlova told TASS on Wednesday.
"Embassy employees the defense planned to interview will not give evidence. It is prohibited by their diplomatic immunity," she said, adding that earlier in the day Whelan’s defense attorney had begun to present evidence. "Three witnesses did not appear. I think it is because of the epidemic situation. The next session on the Whelan case will take place on May 18," she said.
According to Karlova, Whelan made a number of motions during today’s session. "Thus, he requested a translator during visits of members of the public human rights monitoring commission. The judge however said he had no right to change the detention facility’s regulations but told Whelan that once he objected against the actions of the facility’s administration he had the right challenge them in an administrative procedure," she said.
US national Paul Whelan, global security chief at BorgWarner, a Michigan-based automotive components company, was detained by Russian security officers on December 28, 2018, in Moscow while on a spy mission. According to investigators, the man was carrying a USB drive containing state secret information. A criminal investigation was opened against him on espionage charges carrying a punishment of up to 20 years in jail. Whelan denies his guilt and his defense attorneys insist the case is fabricated. Along with US citizenship, Whelan also holds British, Canadian and Irish passports.
