He was arrested in his room, just hours after showing some of the other wedding guests around the grounds of the Kremlin. Lawyer Vladimir Zherebyonkov was soon saying the same, now claiming the FSB had been planning a swap all along. David Whelan issued a family statement on Friday on behalf of his brother, Paul Whelan, saying that the family was very pleased to know that staff of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow have been given consular access to Paul and confirmed that he is safe., He says the familys focus remains on ensuring that Paul is safe, well treated, has a good lawyer, and is coming home.. Paul Whelan was discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2008 following a special court-martial. The photograph dates from Whelan's first trip to Moscow, made while he was serving with the US military in Iraq. The records show he was also accused of using a false Social Security number on a government computer system and using a false account on the system to grade his own examinations. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? In early 2019, the drama of his now multi-national arrest was developing against a hostile political backdrop, with mutual sanctions over the Ukraine crisis and East-West tension not felt since Soviet times. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told Sky News on Friday that the British government is trying to help Paul Whelan. [36][e], On June 15, 2020, Whelan was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison for espionage by a court in Moscow. Was Paul Whelan given a bad-conduct discharge from the Marines? Whelan's case is a curious one as four different countries Canada, the U.S., Britain, and Ireland all claim him as a citizen, and each is seeking consular access. On Dec. 8, 2022, WNBA star Brittney Griner was released to American custody after spending nearly 10 months as a prisoner in the Russian penal system on marijuana-related charges. His arrest and 14-year prison sentence caused a scandal back home when it emerged that civilians with no diplomatic cover were being used for high-risk espionage. ", US 'outraged' as Russia jails American for spying. Military records show he joined the US Marine Reserves in 1994, about six years after he had reportedly begun work as a police officer in Michigan. WebOn June 15, 2020, Whelan was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison for espionage by a court in Moscow. '," a former colleague, Skotti Fietsam, told the BBC. The Russian investigators state that Paul Whelan is a spy working for military intelligence and holding the rank of Colonel or any higher post. Mr Whelan is a citizen of four countries - the US, Canada, the UK and the Irish Republic. Whelan has been in Russian custody for nearly four years, convicted on charges of espionage and spying for the U.S. government and sentenced to 16 years in prison. That was New Year's Eve 2018 and the start of a case that would embroil four western governments and pile pressure on relations with Russia that had already sunk to a post-Cold War low. As described in a military justice fact sheet, this is "one of two types of punitive discharges that may be imposed on an enlisted person" and is "less severe than a Dishonorable Discharge.". His family, it has emerged, were unaware of events. Odds are he did something wrong. [41], Family members said Whelan had been told that he had been arrested to be exchanged for a Russian prisoner in the United States, mentioning Konstantin Yaroshenko (who was released in return for American Trevor Reed), Viktor Bout, or Roman Seleznev. The US Embassy and government have been very vocal about Whelan's detention. If he's a spy, then I'm Michael Jackson!!!!" They also said he owed Whelan around 80,000 roubles ($1,147; 930) which the FSB claimed was advance payment for intelligence. The military records clearly show that Paul Whelan served in the US marine in 1994. Paul Whelan was born in a British family in Canada and then shifted to the US during his childhood. @dsgordon @nowthisnews Whelan's military record is rife with criminal activity which resulted in a Bad Conduct Discharge. In Room 3324 of Moscow's Metropol hotel, Paul Whelan was getting dressed for a friend's wedding when Russian intelligence officers burst in. Published Jan 5, 2019 3:56 PM EST. he wrote. To know the authentic details on Paul Whelan Dishonorable Discharge news, read through this blog until very close. Russia has not publicly presented any evidence to support the charges against Whelan. It is an extraordinarily long time. Kristen Jordan Shamus - Detroit Free Press. It was while serving in the marines that he made his first trip to Russia, a visit he detailed on his website, which was shut down several years ago. His job at BorgWarner involves overseeing security for facilities, assets and people in Auburn Hills and around the world, Graham said. [32], On January 3, 2019, Whelan's attorney, Vladimir Zherebenko,[d] said he was seeking his release on bail. Alexei Tarasov, Viktor Bout's attorney, told Russian television that Mr Whelan wasn't included in the swap because the exchange was on a "one for one" basis. "His experience of having already been to the Kremlin and having already walked around Red Square and navigating the metro, his friend felt Paul could assist a bunch of Americans who hadn't otherwise ever been to Moscow," David Whelan said. Whelan, who at the time of his arrest was the head of global security for a US-based car parts firm, began to denounce the charge of espionage as "ridiculous", and declare that he was being tried by a "kangaroo court". The case was immediately big news that grew further when it emerged that Whelan was a citizen of four countries. "I think Paul will be taking it very hard. Some critics of Biden have faulted him for not bringing Whelan back, often citing Whelan's service in the Marines as part of that argument. The Pentagon, When the judge returned to court, to extend his stay in prison once again, Whelan's frustration erupted. Spy trials in Russia are not only heard in secret, the defence lawyers have to sign non-disclosure agreements covering the entire case. If so, it appears that Paul Whelan was blind to the threat. 2023 BBC. | Paul Whelan arrives handcuffed and holds a personal statement up in court, Paul Whelan was a US police officer when he was younger, Paul Whelan as a US marine and the front gate at his parents' property, The town of Sergiev Posad is home to the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church - the Trinity Lavra of St Sergius, Paul Whelan's lawyers Vladimir Zherebyonkov and Olga Karlova, Norwegian citizen Frode Berg in a Moscow courtroom, January 2019, US Ambassador John Sullivan outside court after Paul Whelan's sentencing, The high wall and barbed wire of Lefortovo jail, The K-shaped buildings of Moscow's Lefortovo prison, Undated photo of Konstantin Yaroshenko (left) and Viktor Bout in 2010. [14][b] As of March 2019, he shared a cell with another prisoner who spoke no English. "If we exchange one person, we should exchange him for one person, not for two". He rose to the rank of staff sergeant in December 2004 and was deployed in the war against Iraq for several months in 2004 and 2006. But the espionage case was based entirely on Whelan's ties to one officer, with all the evidence gathered in 2018 shortly before his arrest. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. So the prisoner who has always called himself a political hostage is now looking to the politicians to do a deal for his release. Whelan has been detained in Russia for nearly four years and in August 2020, he was sent to prison camp IK-17 in the Mordovia region of Russia, some 210 miles east of Moscow. ((This Dec. 8 story has been corrected to fix paragraph 8 to make clear Whelan was given a bad-conduct discharge from the Marine Corps, not a dishonourable discharge).) He rose to the rank of staff sergeant in December 2004 and was deployed in the war against Iraq for several months in 2004 and 2006. Administrative Discharge Status Can Affect Benefits. Coint, Prediction. [7], He was an IT manager for the Kelly Services staffing company from 2001[8] to 2003, and then 2008 to 2010. "My grandfather came from Ireland to England and my father came from England to Canada, and that's where we were born. The link led to Maxim, who explained that his new friend, Paul Whelan, was helping with his English which he planned to study at university. Whelan, a former U.S. Marine arrested in Russia on espionage charges, was visiting Moscow over the holidays to attend a wedding when he suddenly disappeared, his brother said Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. His rank was downgraded to corporal as he was found guilty of cheque bounce and attempted theft of around $10,000 during his office. There was a lot of speculation about this and there was hope [that] Paul and his family had hoped he would finally return home to his very elderly parents, his lawyer Olga Karlova told The Post. Curious To Check Full Wiki! Distributed byTribune Content Agency, LLC. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? In addition to larceny, specifically the attempted theft of $10,410.59 of US government money, he also reportedly bounced checks to the tune of $6,000. To be correct, the Marines did not give Paul Whelan a Dishonorable Discharge. The first time I saw Whelan in court, well over a year ago, he arrived with a weak smile and a brown cardboard box hugged to his chest containing a packed prison lunch. Irish officials say a man being detained by Russia, Paul Whelan, has requested help from the Irish government and report they will do what they can to come to his aid. Russian officials say the American former Marine who is being held in Moscow on spying charges also holds British citizenship, and London has requested consular access to him. Paul Whelans family members criticize the US government on the Prisoners swap for choosing Brittney Grinner over Whelan. Officers typically bide their time, he explains, calling it "calf-rearing", before a target is culled. Almost 18 months later, Whelan has been convicted of spying - receiving Russian state secrets - after a short trial conducted entirely behind closed doors. "[14] A few weeks later, Zherebenkov said Whelan had been unaware of the contents of the USB drive and believed it contained material solely of personal value such as "photographs, videos, anything at all, about his previous holiday in Russia. Last year, he was sent to solitary confinement for a month. ", Another man gave his friend a sightseeing tour of his own town that same year. [4] He said his brother had not been in contact with his family. I did not commit a crime," Whelan said, telling me that a friend had turned-up at his hotel that evening unannounced. "I can't imagine how someone with a law enforcement background who is also a former US Marine, and who is now working in corporate security and is also aware of the risks of travel, would have broken any law let alone the law related to espionage," he said. It was an Automobile component distributor company. This is the second time Whelan has been overlooked in a prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington. The Marine Corps released Whelan's service record, showing that hewas convicted in a 2008 court-martial on charges related to larceny. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Whelan, a 48-year-old former Marine and security director for a U.S. company, was arrested a week ago in Moscow, accused of spying. He worked in the 2000s as an IT project manager for Kelly Services Company. for choosing Brittney Grinner over Whelan. Just two weeks after his arrest, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared that the American had been caught "red-handed" conducting a "concrete, illegal act". The Salisbury poisoning: What happened next? The 48-year-old former Marine and global security director for a U.S. company was arrested a week ago in Moscow. Whelan was friends with young servicemen in the US, though, too. He again joined the marines in 2004 and then in 2006. [4], Whelan lived in Novi, Michigan, prior to detainment in Russia.[49]. Since late 2018, he has been held on espionage charges, which he denies. Just as there are groupies for rock bands, sports teams, and politicians, Whelan was a FSB groupie. Some do have clear military connections - including photographs in uniform - though not all, and no-one who replied to my messages had seen any reason to doubt Whelan's motives. But the space measures 9.5 square metres between two prisoners and exercise is one hour a day on the roof. After the Salisbury poisoning in early 2018, more than 100 Russian diplomats identified as intelligence agents were expelled from embassies around the world in a co-ordinated act of protest.
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