Paul Whelan’s family considering his detention in a Russian prison a disaster
2022.12.08 11:09
Paul Whelan’s family considering his detention in a Russian prison a disaster
Budrigannews.com – The prisoner swap involving American basketball star Brittney Griner leaves few options, despite President Joe Biden’s statement on Thursday that the United States will never give up on negotiating for Paul Whelan’s release from Russia.
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“Sadly, Russia is treating Paul’s case differently than Brittney’s for completely illegitimate reasons. We are not giving up, even though we have not yet secured Paul’s release. Biden stated, “We will never give up.”
Paul Whelan, a former member of the United States Marine Corps, is being held for 16 years in the Russian region of Mordovia on espionage charges, which he denies. In 2018, he was detained, and he was found guilty two years later.
David Whelan, Paul’s brother, was pleased with Griner’s release, but he expressed concern for his brother’s future. According to David Whelan, the Biden administration informed the Whelan family in advance that he would not be released alongside Griner.
“Our family has been able to mentally prepare for what is now a public disappointment for us because of that early warning. And a disaster for Paul,” he declared in a statement.
The United States may have little leverage to negotiate Whelan’s release because Griner was released in exchange for the release of arms dealer Viktor Bout.
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We can rejoice that a basketball star has been let go, but what about Paul Whelan? An American held for years without just cause. “May not be well-known, but he is innocent,” tweeted Republican legislator Adam Kinzinger. Surely, two innocent people are worth more to an arms dealer?
According to U.S. officials, Moscow forced them to act.
“In the end, when it became abundantly clear that the option was, as I have emphasized: that Brittney Griner would be returned right away or that no American would be returned right away,” a senior administration official told reporters.
Biden said authorities were in contact with Whelan’s loved ones.
“We’ll keep negotiating for Paul’s release in good faith.” “I promise that,” he stated.
According to the U.S. official, Biden has personally followed the negotiations to bring both Griner and Whelan home for months.
