WASHINGTON (Michigan News Source) – Paul Whelan has been a Russian hostage for 1,845 days. Whelan, a 53-year-old former active duty U.S. Marine and corporate security executive from Michigan, has been designated as being “wrongfully detained” by Russia, having been behind bars since the end of 2018. Whelan has been serving a 16-year sentence for spying, a charge that the American government and the Whelan family argues is without merit.
Whelan was left behind in a Russian prison after the Biden administration negotiated for the release of American basketball star, Brittney Griner, in December of 2022 as part of a prisoner exchange for convicted arms dealer, Viktor Bout.
Whelan family continues to call for Russia to release their family member.
Since then, Whelan’s family has been pushing for Paul’s release and their efforts have gotten more intense after Paul was assaulted by a prisoner back in November of 2023. Part of their ongoing efforts to get Paul released has been to secure an audience with President Biden to discuss the situation. That meeting finally took place last week.
Paul’s twin brother, David, sent out an email recently about his sister Elizabeth’s trip to Washington D.C. to meet with President Joe Biden in a closed door meeting to discuss efforts to get Paul out of Russia. Elizabeth met with Biden on Wednesday, January 10th, to discuss securing her brother’s release from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s grasp. After the meeting, Biden also called Paul’s parents.
Russia rejects proposal from the U.S.
Back in December, the State Department said they had made a “new and significant” proposal to Russia for the release of both Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter, Evan Gershkovich. The offer was rejected.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters at a press briefing, “It was to bring both of them home.” He added that the United States has made a ”a number of proposals” but said, “We shouldn’t have to make these proposals. They shouldn’t have been arrested in the first place.”
Putin says negotiations must be good for Russia.
Russian President Putin said at the end of 2023 in a press conference, “I hope we will find a solution. But, I repeat, the American side must hear us and make a decision that will satisfy the Russian side as well.”
David said about last week’s meeting between his sister and President Biden, “I have not yet heard but I’m confident he (Paul) was pleased to hear that President Biden had been able to meet with our sister, Elizabeth. President Biden’s kindness in also calling our parents will, I’m sure, be communicated in their regular phone calls to Paul. You could have knocked them over with a feather and they were touched by the thoughtfulness and consideration the President showed.”
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David went on to say, “We are all grateful to President Biden for taking the time to talk about Paul’s case with Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth Whelan thanks the President for commitment to get brother released from Russia.
Elizabeth said about the meeting, “I was honored and grateful for the opportunity to meet with President Biden to discuss the current state of efforts to bring my brother Paul Whelan home. Paul has been wrongfully detained in Russia for over five years, and my recent focus has been to encourage shortening the timeline, improving the process, and increasing the momentum in the response to
hostage-taking across the board, and for my brother Paul in particular.”
Elizabeth added, “I left the meeting reassured that the commitment and the work on Paul’s behalf has not flagged, regardless of Russia’s recent rejection in 2023 of yet another substantive offer made by the US. And I am deeply appreciative of this administration’s engagement with our family and support for Paul through his ordeal.”
Ongoing efforts to secure Paul’s safety continue.
David added that they haven’t heard anything yet from the two requests for investigation that have been filed with the Mordovian prosecutor relating to the assault on Paul and the deputy warden’s retaliation.
When asked what more the U.S. government could be doing to get his brother released, David said, “In the lengthy inventory of things they are doing and have done, a call from a President is a remarkable one, a balm for a family going through this ordeal. We hope that their many other efforts will lead to Paul being home and bringing the ordeal to an end.”
