(Washington) Former US Marine Paul Whelan has been “unjustly” imprisoned for spying in Russia for five years, the head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken declared on Wednesday, ensuring that he would do everything to obtain his release.
“December 28 will mark five years since the unjust detention of American citizen Paul Whelan by Russian authorities,” he said in a statement.
“Not a day goes by without the American government deploying intense efforts to bring him back to the country,” assured the Secretary of State.
Former non-commissioned officer in the Marine Corps, Paul Whelan, 53, is serving a 16-year prison sentence in a case that the person concerned and Washington consider to be fabricated.
Detained in a penal colony in Mordovia, in central Russia, Paul Whelan said he was “abandoned” by the United States, which he accused of “treason” for failing to repatriate him, in a interview published on December 20 by the BBC.
He said he spends his days sewing clothes and hats in a prison factory, an establishment in which he says it is -15 degrees Celsius and where he says he was recently attacked by a fellow inmate.
“After a secret trial behind closed doors, Paul spent years working in Russian penal colonies. In the last year alone, he has been attacked by other detainees and harassed by Russian state media,” blasted Mr. Blinken.
The United States assures that Russia refused all their offers, including one described as “consequential”, for the release of Mr. Whelan as well as that of the American journalist from the Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in mid-December that he “hoped” for a “mutually acceptable” agreement on this issue.
On December 21, the White House said it was preparing a new proposal to Russia.
The two countries accuse each other of detaining their nationals for political purposes and several prisoner exchanges have taken place in recent years.
The United States notably obtained the release at the end of 2022 of Brittney Griner, American basketball star detained in Russia, in exchange for that of Viktor Bout, famous Russian arms trafficker.