The father of a Russian man accused of spying for a British intelligence service said Saturday his son was mentally ill and should not stand trial for espionage.
Alexei Obukhov told a news conference that British intelligence agents were able to recruit his son Platon because he was psychologically unstable and vulnerable. Platon Obukhov, 28, was arrested in April and is awaiting trial.He had been recruited by Britain's intelligence service while he was a diplomat in Norway in the early 1990s, Russian media reported. He allegedly began active spying when he returned to Russia to work in the Foreign Ministry's North American section.
Since Obukhov's arrest, his lawyer and family have maintained that he is not fit for trial.