Individuals suspected of spying for Russia did nothing to harm U.S. interests, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said on Tuesday.
"Bearing in mind the U.S. accusations against suspected spies, we can say that these are Russian citizens who visited the United States at various times. They did nothing to harm U.S. interests," he said.
"We presume that these people will have normal conditions of custody, and the U.S. authorities will give Russian consular workers and lawyers an access to the detainees," he said.
"We also hope for U.S. understanding, bearing in mind the positive situation in Russia-U.S. relations," Nesterenko said.
ITAR-TASS
