Scientist Igor Sutyagin, who was one of four Russians exchanged last week as part of a Russian-U.S. spy swap deal, has received a residence permit, Sutyagin's lawyer told RIA Novosti on Thursday.
"Yesterday, he congratulated his mom on her birthday in a phone conversation and said he has received a passport and a document he translated as a residence permit," Anna Stavitskaya said.
Sutyagin is still living in a provincial British town, Sutyagin's lawyer said. "He said he needs some time for adaptation," she added.
Sutyagin has denied information that intelligence services officers are working with him, Stavitskaya said.
In April 2004, Sutyagin, a Russian arms control and nuclear weapons specialist, was sentenced to 15 years in prison in Arkhangelsk, northwest Russia, for sharing state secrets with U.S. military intelligence.
Under the spy exchange deal, which took place in Vienna on July 9, Russia pardoned and released four prisoners jailed for spying for the United States in exchange for ten people accused by the United States of spying for Russia.
MOSCOW, July 15 (RIA Novosti)
