2010-07-07 19:42

MOSCOW - Russia wants to exchange a jailed scientist for one of the suspected spies arrested in the United States, Russian media quoted a lawyer for the scientist as saying on Wednesday.

Scientist Igor Sutyagin, convicted in 2004 for espionage, might be swapped, the RIA Novosti and Interfax news agencies quoted Anna Stavitskaya, one of the lawyers for Sutyagin, as saying.

"They are going to swap him, among others, for those who have been detained in America. This is what he has told his parents," said Stavitskaya.

"Eleven people will be swapped for eleven people, and Sutyagin is one of them," she said.

The Interfax earlier reported that Sutyagin may be deported to Britain for a swap.

"Sutyagin was transported from a camp, where he had been serving his term, to the Lefortovo pretrial detention center in Moscow the day before yesterday. A decision has been made to deport him to Britain in exchange for some people whom Russia needs more than Sutyagin," said Ernst Chyorny, executive secretary of the Public Committee in Defense of Scientists.