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The family of an American arrested in Russia for alleged spying have protested his innocence, saying he was a retired US Marine who went to Moscow for a wedding. Paul Whelan, 48, was detained on Friday, and Russia's Federal Security Service said he was caught "during an espionage operation," but gave no further details. The Russian spying charges carry a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years. In a statement his family said Mr Whelan had gone to Russia for the wedding of another US Marine. They said: "We have read reports of the arrest in Moscow of Paul Whelan, our son and brother. Paul is a retired Marine and was visiting Moscow to attend a wedding." Mr Whelan's stopped communicating with his family on December 28 "which was very much out of character for him even when he was traveling". His family added: "We are deeply concerned for his safety and well-being. His innocence is undoubted and we trust that his rights will be respected." The statement was released by his twin brother David Whelan, who added: "It is inconceivable to me that he would have done anything to break the law in Russia." Mr Whelan said the wedding his brother attended was at a luxury hotel in central Moscow on Dec 28, the day of the arrest. US state department officials said they had received formal notification of the detention from the Russian foreign ministry, and were pushing for consular access. It came as relations between the US and Russia are severely strained, in part over Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. Maria Butina, a Russian gun-rights activist, is currently in US custody after recently admitting she acted as an illegal foreign agent in 2016.
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