MOSCOW, May 24 (RAPSI) – Moscow’s Lefortovsky District Court on Friday extended detention of a foreign citizen Paul Whelan charged with espionage until August 29, the court’s press service told RAPSI.

Earlier, according to the defendant’s lawyer, Whelan was found sane.

Whelan is a citizen of the U.S., Canada, Ireland and Great Britain. He is the chief safety officer of BorgWarner, an American worldwide automotive industry components and parts supplier. The foreigner was arrested in late 2018 during “a spying mission”, according to the Federal Security Service. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

The Foreign Ministry of Russia reported earlier that papers classified as state secret were seized from Whelan during his arrest on December 28. His lawyer Vladimir Zherebenkov has confirmed this information.