Moscow announces arrest of American on espionage charges

[turbinetree]

Source: Think Progress

The move comes amidst new tensions over the fate of Maria Butina.

CASEY MICHEL
DEC 31, 2018, 8:59 AM
UPDATED: DEC 31, 2018, 11:41 AM

On Friday, one of Russia’s primary intelligence agencies announced that it had arrested an American for espionage.

According to a statement from the FSB, Russia’s successor to the Soviet-era KGB, Russian authorities arrested Paul Whelan in Moscow “during an act of espionage.”

The details offered by the FSB’s announcement were scant, and it’s still unclear where Whelan is being held or what exactly he was arrested for. The U.S. Embassy has yet to issue a statement, but the State Department told Newsweek that they have requested consular access. “We have requested this access and expect Russian authorities to provide it,” a State Department spokesperson said.

Charges of espionage carry sentences of up to 20 years in Russia.




Read more: https://thinkprogress.org/moscow-announces-arrest-of-american-on-espionage-charges-3ff71e2c9e24/

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Putin also fielded a question hinting that Russia should follow China’s recent precedent. China has recently begun arresting and holding Canadian citizens, apparently as retaliation for Canada’s arrest of a Huawei executive accused of breaching Iranian sanctions.

In response, Putin said, “This is a very sensitive area, and we will not act according to the laws of the Code of Hammurabi here. The law of retaliation states, ‘An eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth.’ We need to act very cautiously here, and we need to be real.”

This story has been updated to include a statement by the State Department.




Anyone hear from the malignant narcissistic psychopath in the white house...................nope, not one word................

And now the blackmailing can begin......................Putin is full of shit..............quote:.it is an eye for and eye, and he wants his hands on Butina.....................he is a fucking KGB operative and as for China.................they are just as corrupt as Russia.........and he (Putin) is invoking the Code of Hammurabi...................he also is some fucking psychopath.....................

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/hammurabi
,

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

1. Imagine being a spy protecting us in russia or China, or Turkey,

or the Phillipines, or Korea, or gulp...Saudi Arabia?....Some very VERY brave and dedicated Americans. Can't possibly be overstated.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. Dozens unnamed stars at CIA HQ wall tRump farted in front of. . . . nt

[calimary]

2. Hmmmm... trying to set up a trade so they can get Butina back?

[dalton99a]

3. They want to exchange him for Maria Butina

[duforsure]

8. I agree

And putin will have trump suggest a trade so putin can get revenge against her for talking to Mueller , and trump helping him send her to her death from this. trump is a traitor to this country , and this was probably cooked up by putin or trump, or both of them to make a statement putin and trump can get them if they do talk. Also blatant obstruction of justice if he does try to do this now, and another charge.

[Sneederbunk]

4. I give up. Who is Paul Whelan?

[reACTIONary]

11. As of now, no one knows...

..., or is saying.

[Maxheader]

5. I would not want to be over in russia right now...

scapegoats are in season..

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. Russia taking cue from China, which arrested 2 Canadians in retaliation for Huawei exec

... arrested in Canada by request of US authorities for extradition to USA.

[defacto7]

9. Just like the good old days, the middle ages...

you know, a tit for a tat, some biblical rhetoric as a basis for civility. At least he was out with it calling it what it is... retaliation.

We've got some really advanced thinkers here. They're no more than a mere 900 years behind. I can't wait till we advance to 14th century politics.
(sarc)

[Perseus]

10. I wonder if the US agent was outed

Just to make things easier for Putin...hmmm, in this era of treason and corruption from the GOP one can speculate more treason and corruption. As when Karl Rove outed Valerie Plame, their level of patriotism is very low, and they go to any extent to fulfill their corrupt agenda.

[BigmanPigman]

12. I want to know how tRump will respond.

Will Putin's new missile threats and detained US spy bring tRump to continue to support Putin's agenda or will he stand up to his puppet master?

[DeminPennswoods]

13. Butina must be a lot more important

of a Russian asset that most have said or speculated.