MOSCOW. Aug 3 (Interfax) - The defense for United States citizen Paul Whelan, convicted in Russia for espionage, might file a request before the end of the month to have him deported to the U.S. to serve the remainder of his prison term at home, even if lawyers do not have the chance to discuss the matter with him, Whelan's lawyer Olga Karlova said.
"I think even if we don't manage to talk [with Whelan], we'll file a request. On the whole, Paul has authorized us to do so, he understood what it means. I explained the Criminal Procedure Code article [concerning the transfer of convicts to another country to serve prison terms] to him, and he understood it," Karlova told Interfax on Tuesday.
Asked whether such a request might be filed before the end of August, Karlova said, "Yes, this is possible before the end of the month."