RT published footage of the detention of American spy Paul Whelan in Moscow, which took place in December 2018. Whelan was detained in a Metropol hotel room while receiving a flash drive with classified data on FSB officers from a Russian source.
The Moscow City Court sentenced him in 2020 to 16 years in a strict regime colony for espionage, although the prosecution demanded 18 years.
Paul Whelan, who is a citizen of the United States, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom, said that he did not engage in espionage and intends to appeal the sentence. He was detained on December 28, 2018, with documents containing state secrets. Whelan claimed that he was not an intelligence agent but "Mr. Bean on vacation," RT reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently signed a decree pardoning Paul Whelan. The freed journalist Pivovarov called on the West to ease sanctions against Russia.