(CNN)A lawyer for Paul Whelan, a US citizen charged in Russia with espionage, said Thursday he has filed an appeal in court against Whelan’s detention without bail, which he called unwarranted and excessive.
Whelan, 48, a Michigan resident and corporate security director, was arrested December 28 in Moscow on suspicion of carrying out an act of espionage, Russia has said. His family rejects the accusation, asserting that he was in Russia only for a vacation.
The Russian government announced the arrest Monday but has not officially released further details about the specific allegations against Whelan.
