A Russian court has sentenced a British-American citizen to 16 years in prison, raising speculation of a potential prisoner swap between Russia and the United States.

Russian courts have convicted several foreign nationals of spying in recent years but the case of Paul Whelan is the first for a British or an American citizen since the Cold War, putting a further stain on ties between Russia and those countries.

Judge Andrei Suvorov on Monday convicted Whelan, 50, of spying and sentenced him to 16 years in a high-security prison, a year and a half after the former US Marine was detained in an upscale Moscow hotel.

Prosecutors claimed during the trial which was held behind closed doors that Mr Whelan was caught red-handed with documents containing state secrets. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

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