MOSCOW, November 5 (RIA Novosti) – The head of Russian Center for Science and Culture in Washington Yury Zaitsev does not plan to go to court to seek the rebuttal to media information, accusing him of spy recruitment.
In October 2013, a number of US media outlets cited local law enforcement agencies as saying that Russian national Zaitsev, who is heading the Washington-based Russian center, was suspected of using cultural exchange programs for recruiting US citizens as spies.
Zaitsev has repeatedly denied the espionage allegations.
"The US nationals, including lawyers and advocates, came to me saying: let's file a lawsuit, let's request a refutation. I thought about it and said that there will be just one line of refutation, denying the information [about alleged espionage]. And it will take a lot of effort and energy," Zaitsev said at a press briefing at Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, Zaitsev told RIA Novosti that no official charges were filed against him.
He added, that in the end of 2013, 50 young businessman, politicians and people of art from the United States were supposed to travel to Russia, as part of cultural exchange program, but after US secret services "had a conversation" with the candidates, only 19 did travel.
