MOSCOW, June 23 —  Former US marine Paul Whelan, who was sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison for espionage last week, will not appeal against his sentence, the Interfax news agency reported today, citing Whelan’s lawyer.

Lawyer Vladimir Zherebenkov said Whelan, who holds US, British, Canadian and Irish passports, hoped to be exchanged in a prisoner swap with the United States in the near future.

Russia says Whelan, detained in December 2018, was caught with a computer flash drive containing classified information, charges he denies. — Reuters