Sutyagin might be freed in spy swap
Rumors in Russia indicate that Arkhangelsk-jailed Igor Sutyagin can be exchanged with one of the accused America is holding on suspicion of running a Russian spy ring. Sutyagin is the most profiled human right case where a person is sitting behind bars in the Russian part of the Barents Region.
Sutyagin has been in prison since October 1999 after having handed over allegedly classified information to a group of British researchers. When arrested Sutyagin worked at the military technology and economics department at the Institute of the United States and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Sutyagin and his supporters however argue that the information was openly available in public sources. The case is one of the most high-profiled human right cases in Russia today.
Since 2005, Sutyagin has been behind bars in a prison colony in Arkhangelsk Oblast.
According to ABC News Sutyagin’s parents say their son called them from a remote prison colony in the Arkhangelsk region on Tuesday night.
They say he told them he was about to be transferred to Moscow in preparation for a prisoner swap.
He claims he will be expelled from Russia in the next few days, possibly to Britain.
Anna Stavitskaya, a lawyer acting for Sutyagin, told reporters that Russian authorities want the swap to take place tomorrow, ABC News reports.
- They want to exchange Sutyagin for those accused of spying in the United States, Stavitskaya said.
Several sources said on Wednesday that Igor Sutyagin is already sent from Arkhangelsk to Moscow’s Lefortovo prison. RIA Novosti qoute a spokesman for the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service that refused to confirm the report on Sutyagin’s transfer to Moscow saying this kind of information is secret.
So far, Russia has refused to confirm any such swap is being planned.
Read also: Sutyagin case goes to Strasbourg
In March this year, the city court of Arkhangelsk refused to grant Igor Sutyagin early release. The court argued he has not improved sufficiently.
