Russia considers moving US convict

A Russian court will consider a request next month to transfer former US Marine Paul Whelan, sentenced last year to 16 years in a Russian jail, to the United States, his lawyer told TASS news agency yesterday.

The lawyer, Olga Karlova, said the hearing will take place in the city of Nizhny Novgorod on Nov 8.

Russia convicted Whelan, who holds US, British, Canadian and Irish passports, of spying last June. He denied the charge and said he was set up.