April 11 (UPI) — Spanish authorities in Barcelona arrested Russian computer programmer Pyotr Levashov, who was wanted by U.S. authorities, Russia’s embassy in Madrid said.
“We confirm that the Spanish security agents in Barcelona detained the Russian citizen Pyotr Levashov,” Andréi Konstantínov, the head of the embassy’s consular department, told SputnikMundo.
Levashov’s wife, Maria, said the arrest is linked to the allegations by the U.S. intelligence community that Russia interfered with the U.S. election to possibly help Donald Trump defeat Hillary Clinton.
She told RT late Sunday that Spanish authorities arrested Levashov “at the request of the American authorities in connection with cyber crime” over “a virus which appears to have been created by my husband … linked to Trump’s victory.”
She said the 36-year-old St. Petersburg resident was arrested while the couple was vacationing in Barcelona with their son.
Stanislav Petrúnichev, Russia’s Consulate General, said Levashov is “currently receiving all the necessary help from the consular service that maintains contacts with his wife and the police.”
