The State Department in Washington says an American man being held in Russia on spying charges may be allowed to return to the United States. The man, Richard Bliss, was arrested in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don almost a month ago after using satellite surveying equipment. The Russian authorities are allowing him to return home for Christmas and the New Year but say he will be expected to return to Russia on January 10th. This report from Richard Lister in Washington:

The United States had strongly protested at the decision to charge Mr Bliss with espionage and demanded his immediate release, but it seems the Russians still believe there is a case to answer. Under a deal between the Russian security services, Mr Bliss and his American employer, Qualcomm, he is being allowed to return home, but the charges against him have not been dropped and he's agreed to return in January.

His lawyer, though, has said the decision to let him leave the country may mean that the authorities are preparing to drop the charges. Mr Bliss was arrested after using satellite global positioning equipment near Rostov-on-Don, close to what the authorities there say are restricted sites.

Qualcomm is trying to develop a mobile telephone network in the region with a Russian company, and Mr Bliss says he was simply doing some preliminary field work. But the Russian authorities say the information he had gathered didn't tally with that argument.