The defense team for a former U.S. Marine held in Russia will file paperwork to a court this week for him to be moved to the United States to serve his sentence, Interfax news agency cited his lawyer as saying on Monday.

Russia convicted Paul Whelan, who holds U.S., British, Canadian and Irish passports, of spying last June and sentenced him to 16 years in jail. He denied spying and said he was set up in a sting operation. Washington demanded his release.