US envoy to Russia visits detained American Paul Whelan in prison: Embassy

US ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy on Thursday visited American citizen Paul Whelan in the prison he has been held in Mordovia in eastern Russia, the US embassy said.

“Paul has been wrongfully detained in Russia for more than 4 years, and his release remains an absolute priority. The US government will continue to engage Russian authorities on his case so Paul can come home as soon as possible,” the embassy said in a tweet.

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Whelan, a former US marine, was arrested in December 2018, held for 18 months in Lefortovo prison in Moscow and jailed for 16 years in June 2020 on spying charges. He has denied the accusations.

Today, Ambassador Tracy visited #PaulWhelan at IK17 prison in Mordovia. Paul has been wrongfully detained in Russia for more than 4 years, and his release remains an absolute priority. The U.S. government will continue to engage Russian authorities on his case so Paul can come… pic.twitter.com/0DzL2falKk

— Посольство США в РФ/ U.S. Embassy Russia (@USEmbRu) May 4, 2023

The United States has designated Whelan as “wrongfully Detained,” a term that effectively says the charges are bogus and the case is politically driven.

Read more: Detained American Whelan: I’m disappointed more hasn’t been done to release me