US citizen held in Russia charged with 'espionage'

Russian prosecutors have charged an American ex-Marine Paul Whelan detained in Moscow last week with espionage, his lawyer said Thursday, the latest in a series of rifts between Moscow and Washington. The lawyer said he had appealed the ruling and asked for Whelan to be released on bail pending the start of the trial. Whelan, who has denied the charges, could face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.