A Russian court sentenced a former Marine to 16 years in prison on Monday on espionage charges the United States has called bogus.
Paul Whelan has been jailed in Russia since his arrest in December 2018, when he traveled to the country to attend the wedding of a friend, and faced 20 years in prison.
“Our family will continue to fight for Paul’s release. The Russian government has been clear, through statements from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that it expected to extract concessions but that Paul’s inclusion in those discussion would only happen after a conviction. That time is here,” his twin brother, David Whelan, said in a statement Monday. “We look to the U.S. government to immediately take steps to bring Paul home.”
His Russian lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, argued Whelan was unwittingly given a flash drive containing classified information by someone he thought was a friend while on the trip. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said Whelan “was caught red-handed,” but Whelan has insisted he’s not a spy and was set up.
U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan said Whelan’s trial, which began in April and was conducted in secrecy, was far from being fair and transparent. Defense witnesses were not allowed and no evidence was produced, Sullivan said.
It’s been speculated that Whelan could be part of a prisoner exchange, but David Whelan told the Washington Examiner that his family has not spoken with the U.S. government about a possible swap or sanctions to secure his brother’s release.
“Our family wants Paul released and believe that it will require the US government to take some action for that to happen,” David Whelan said in an email Friday. “We have not spoken to them about what they might do, nor have they floated any ideas to us.”
The State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Moscow did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s requests for comment about whether certain options have been discussed.
Russian national Maria Butina, who pleaded guilty in 2018 to conspiring to infiltrate conservative political circles for the Kremlin, was seen as a possible exchange, but she has since been released from prison and deported back to Russia. Other possibilities include Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer, and Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot who was found guilty of trying to smuggle cocaine into the U.S.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said last year that Yaroshenko could be exchanged for “an American or Americans who are imprisoned” in Russia, according to the Interfax news service. The U.S. Embassy said in November there was “no need to discuss a swap” because there was “no evidence, no crime.”
Whelan’s health deteriorated while he was in detention in Lefortovo prison, and he underwent emergency hernia surgery last month.
“The treatment of Paul Whelan at the hands of Russian authorities has been appalling. Russia failed to provide Mr. Whelan with a fair hearing before an independent and impartial tribunal; and during his detention has put his life at risk by ignoring his long-standing medical condition; and unconscionably kept him isolated from family and friends,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement Monday. “We demand Paul Whelan’s immediate release.”
