WASHINGTON (Michigan News Source) – With Paul Whelan’s 53rd birthday approaching on Sunday, Michigan News Source wanted to look into what is going on with the fight for his release from Russia and how his family is being supported by the federal government.

Whelan, a former United States Marine, a police officer in Chelsea, Michigan and Sheriff’s Deputy in Washtenaw County, was arrested in Russia on December 28, 2018 after being accused of spying while he was working as director of global security and investigations for BorgWarner, an automotive parts manufacturer based in Michigan. He received a 16-year prison sentence on June 15, 2020. Since then, his family has been passionately and vocally advocating for his release spending precious time, money and other resources doing so.

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Currently, there are about 60 Americans who are wrongfully detained in foreign countries although the exact number is either not known or not disclosed by the federal government. The James W. Foley Legacy Foundation produced a report in 2022 called “Bringing Americans Home” about wrongfully detained Americans and it reveals that there has been a 58% increase in the number of U.S. nationals who continue to be wrongfully held overseas this decade compared to the previous decade.

President and Founder, James W. Foley, whose son was beheaded in 2014 in Syria while reporting on the Syrian Civil War, says he started the foundation because he was “appalled at our country’s neglect of its innocent citizens held captive abroad.”

It appears that the support for their families who are advocating for their release isn’t a whole lot better and because of that, the foundation advocates for better funding to benefit the detainees’ families. The foundation says, “The primary reason a wrongful detainee is being held is because they are Americans, and their captivities are used to leverage the U.S. government. As a result, the U.S. government should be able to provide financial support to the families of wrongful detainees during a detention or for the detainees themselves after their return.”

The foundation suggests that the government offers funding for many things including travel expenses for wrongful detainee families to go to Washington D.C. to engage with U.S. government officials and advocate for the release of their loved ones; support for the wrongful detainee’s flight home and any medical treatment on the flight; immediate support for returning wrongful detainees for essential needs that arise upon recovery such as clean clothes and temporary housing; support for wrongful detainee families during detention for expenses such as lawyers and overseas translators; financial support for wrongful detainee families to pay costs related to the ongoing imprisonment of their loved ones, e.g. food, water, bedding, medicine and other necessities; and post-captivity physical, medical or psychiatric support for a minimum of two years for returned wrongful detainees.

On February 20th, a bipartisan bill called “Supporting Americans Wrongfully or Unlawfully Detained Abroad Act of 2023” (Senate Bill 509) was announced. The co-sponsors on the bill include United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), and Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH). The bill was drafted to bolster support for families advocating for the release of their loved ones wrongfully or unlawfully detained abroad.

Although the bill legislates some of the things that the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation suggests, it does not go far enough. With all of the money that has been handed out by federal government recently for their various programs, it is almost criminal to read through the bill and see the limitations on what the federal government is willing to pay for in order to “support” the wrongfully detained and their families.

The legislation allows for payment to travel “to” Washington D.C. for the approved family members but there is no information about flying them back home on a round trip ticket. When the four senators were contacted for clarification on this issue, none of them got back to Michigan News Source in the week that they had to respond.

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The government will also only pay for two nights lodging (which shall not exceed the applicable government rate) and for only two trips a year unless the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs determine that a third trip is warranted. Only two approved family members can go on the trip to D.C.

The legislation also allows paying for the “return travel” for a U.S. nationally unlawfully or wrongfully detained upon release and they also will “make available operational and clinical social workers to support the mental health and well-being of the detained and family members.”

These family members, in order to advocate for their loved ones in the nation’s capital, have to take time off from work, possibly get rental cars, make plans for the care of family and pets, buy food once they get to D.C. as well as many other expenses. This is in addition to all of the time and expense they’ve put into keeping up on their loved one’s finances while they are being wrongfully detained.

Although Senator Menendez says the bill was drafted to “ensure families of unlawfully detained Americans are able to advocate for their loved ones’ freedom without a personal financial burden,” their legislation doesn’t do that much at all.

The federal government also doesn’t want a whole lot spent on this program. They are asking to be notified if the amount spent exceeds $250K and want detailed descriptions of all expenditures and information on the number and locations of the visits.

Paul Whelan has been held in Russia for more than 1500 days and a lot of things have had to be done for Paul by his family in the United States in order to keep up with his finances and his life in Michigan as well as advocating for his release.

Michigan News Source reached out to David Whelan, Paul’s brother, about the task of keeping things going for Paul in the United States while he’s being detained. He said, “There is certainly a misunderstanding, although how large I don’t know as I’ve only been asked by a couple of journalists, that the US government is somehow supporting these individuals or their families.”

There are many things that families face while their loved ones are unlawfully detained that most people don’t even think about. Someone has to deal with the detainees’ finances, home, bank accounts, taxes, and many other issues.

David Whelan says, “People’s lives can be wrecked while they are being held hostage. What happens when those automatic payments you set up keep debiting your account (your Amazon Prime account or your automatic delivery of coffee pods) until it’s empty because you’re being held in a foreign labor camp? Or you lose your apartment because you’re not paying rent and there’s no one to move your possessions out or take ownership of them?”

He said that even with a power-of-attorney, the Whelan family had a hard time getting access to Paul’s accounts to ensure that “when he gets out, his finances are in a state that he can have something to live on, while he tries to find a job and a home after however many years as a hostage.”

David goes on to say that it took nearly four years to get a letter from the State Department designating Paul, officially, as “wrongfully detained” that they could show to creditors and financial stewards.

Then there’s also the issue of Social Security. Paul’s lost four years of contributions so far and it will most likely have an impact on what he’s allowed to claim when he retires.

As for the expense of advocating for his brother, David does as much as he can but it puts a huge burden on the entire family. David said, “I’ve turned down opportunities to talk with media because they required me to travel, something I couldn’t afford financially or because of work responsibilities.  When there is a big news day – like Ms. Griner’s release – I take vacation leave from my job, which impacts time I can spend with my family…My sister has had to sacrifice huge amounts of time AND pay for travel, housing, and food in D.C. in order to lobby, sometimes weeks at a time. A self-employed family member like her not only puts her own livelihood at risk but also her own ability to continue that lobbying as the year’s tick by. And if we didn’t do that ourselves, we’d be in the position of having to pay someone to do it for us: lobbyists, lawyers, spokespeople, and so on. Or, like many families, go without.”

As for what is going on between the United States and Russia in the negotiations to get Whelan back to America, it’s gotten pretty quiet lately. Paul’s brother, David, told ABC News, “Well the State Department has taken a 180. It has gone very quiet its attempts to bring Paul home. Last autumn and summer, it was much more vocal talking about what it was trying to do. They’ve gone very quiet and so we’re really waiting to see what they’re up to, what success they might have. And we’ll keep our fingers crossed.”

The family has a date for Paul’s release now and it’s December 28, 2034. But the goal is to bring Paul back home sooner so that his elderly parents can see their son freed in their lifetime.

With renewed tensions with Russia over the Ukraine war and with the United States government telling citizens to leave Russia, the communications between the two countries appear to be more strained than ever.

One of the family’s advocates for Paul’s release is Rep. Haley Stevens (MI-11). She is the new co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on American Hostages and Americans Wrongfully Detailed Abroad. She said, “Since entering Congress, I have been fighting for the release of my constituent Paul Whelan, who has been wrongfully detained in Russia for nearly four years. Americans will not be used as political pawns, and it is an honor to continue working to free every wrongfully detained American in my new capacity as co-chair of the American Hostage Task Force.”

Elizabeth Whelan, Paul’s sister, says, “The Whelan family is delighted to know that Congresswoman Haley Stevens will be taking on a leadership role with the Congressional Task Force on American Hostages and Americans Wrongfully Detained Abroad. Rep. Stevens has been a champion for Paul Whelan…and has courageously spoken out for Paul through his entire ordeal. We are certain she will be as staunch an ally for all Americans wrongfully detained overseas, and for their families here in the US fighting hostile foreign governments to obtain their loved one’s release.”