Russia: Ex-US marine sentenced to 16 year's imprisonment for spying
A former United States marine, Paul Whelan (50), has been sentenced to 16 years in jail by a Russian court. Whelan was arrested in December 2018 with a USB flash drive containing classified information. The US ambassador to Moscow, John Sullivan, criticized the trial as a "mockery of justice" and said that the conviction would impact US-Russia relations. Here are more details.
Who is Paul Whelan?
A resident of Novi, Michigan, Whelan has US, Canadian, British, and Irish citizenship. He was born in Canada to British parents and moved to the US as a child. After serving as a police officer, he joined the US Marine Reserves in 1994. Whelan went on two tours to Iraq—in 2004 and 2006—and made his first trip to Russia while serving in the marines.
Whelan arrested from hotel room in December 2018
Whelan was arrested from his hotel room at Moscow's Metropol Hotel in December 2018. Investigators claim he was caught red-handed with a USB flash drive containing classified information. Whelan says he was getting ready for a wedding when an old friend paid an unexpected visit and handed him the flash drive, moments before officers arrived and arrested him.
Moscow City Court found Whelan guilty; sentenced him to jail
The Moscow City Court on Monday found Whelan guilty of receiving classified information. Whelan had pleaded not guilty, insisting that he is not an American spy. Prosecutors had reportedly sought an 18-year sentence for the espionage charges, which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years. Ahead of the guilty verdict, Whelan had condemned the closed trial as a "sham."
Egregious violation of human rights: US embassy in Moscow
Sullivan said the trial was unfair and lacked transparency, adding that Whelan's conviction could harm US-Russia relations. The US embassy in Moscow said, "This secret trial in which no evidence was produced is an egregious violation of human rights and international legal norms."
Russian legal system guilty of injustice: Whelan's family
After Monday's verdict, Whelan's family said it was the Russian legal system that had been found "guilty of injustice." The family said, "We had hoped the court might show some independence but, in the end, Russian judges are political, not legal, entities." Whelan's lawyers may file an appeal within two weeks, or approach the US government to bring the former marine back home.
