Russia and US 'planning spy swap'

Moscow and Washington are moving rapidly towards a spy swap that would exchange 10 accused Russian agents arrested in the US last week for alleged western spies jailed by Russia.The Russian authorities were preparing to send a scientist, convicted six years ago of passing atomic secrets to US intelligence, to Britain as part of the swap, his family said. Igor Sutyagin was transferred from a remote Arctic penal colony to Moscow in preparation for the exchange. His father told the Guardian he was one of those to be used as "collateral" in the deal.

In the US, the New York Times reported that officials are in discussions with the lawyers of the alleged long-term, deep-cover Russian agents detained last week over plea bargains that would see them swiftly convicted of minor offences and sent back to Moscow. Five of the alleged spies were moved to New York at short notice today after court hearings were cancelled.

An exchange would avoid protracted and potentially embarrassing trials for both countries. The alleged spies' lack of success and the FBI's weak case would come under close scrutiny.



Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/07/russia-us-spy-igor-sutyagin