Key Takeaways
- The US Government has made intensive efforts to bring US citizen Paul Whelan home, securing the release of more than 40 wrongful detainees.
- Paul Whelan has been wrongfully detained in Russia since 2018 and has been sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges.
- The Biden administration will not rest until Paul Whelan is safely back with his family, marking five years since his wrongful detention.
Washington: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the Biden administration will not cease efforts to return US citizen Paul Whelan to the United States from his detention in Russia.
“December 28 marked five years since Russian authorities wrongfully detained US citizen Paul Whelan,” said the statement. “Since President Biden took office, the US has released more than 40 wrongful detainees. Every day, the US Government makes intensive efforts to bring Paul Whelan home. We won’t rest until he’s safely back with his family.”
Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Kremlin hopes to reach a mutually acceptable prisoner exchange deal with the US to return Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
Russian authorities arrested Whelan in 2018 and subsequently sentenced him to 16 years in prison on espionage charges, which he denies
