By Andrew Irumba and TheSpy Uganda Correspondent
On 31 December, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) detained Paul Whelan, accusing him of espionage and launched a criminal case against him.
US State Secretary Mike Pompeo said the US demands the immediate return of the American citizen detained in Russia and seeks an explanation of why he was arrested.
He added that Washington hopes to gain consular access to the detained US citizen over the next few hours.
According to the FSB, a criminal case under the charge “espionage” has been initiated against the American.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has said in a statement that the US Embassy had been notified of the detention of its citizen in accordance with consular convention.
The article, according to which the criminal case was initiated, allows for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 10 to 20 years.
This is likely to make Russia/America relations more fragile. Watch the space….
