Ex-US marine jailed in Russia on spying charges

Moscow, June 15 (IANS) A Russia court on Monday sentenced former US marine Paul Whelan to 16 years hard labour on spying charges in the country.He was arrested in a hotel room in Moscow 18 months ago with a USB flash drive which security officers say contained state secrets, said a BBC report.The Moscow City Court found him guilty of receiving classified information.Whelan - who is also a citizen of the UK, Canada and Ireland - has previously denied the charge and said he thought the drive contained holiday photos.He denounced the closed trial as a "sham" ahead of the verdict.Whelan, who has visited Russia many times, had previously told the BBC that an old friend had turned up at his room uninvited and planted the drive."It's a case without any proof in over 16 months... That's intolerable," US Ambassador John Sullivan told the BBC in April.He called Whelan's treatment, including the lack of proper medical care for a pre-existing health condition, "vile" and "inhumane".
--IANS ksk/